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Very important for us to remember
Tag: Christianity
Jesus Heals
1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
1:22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
This verse does not start with Mark’s favored word of action because nearly a year in the ministry of Jesus was skipped. Matthew and Luke deal with that year. Perhaps Peter skipped it because he felt it could have bogged down the pace of his narrative by having to take time to explain to his readers that the rejection reflects our ability to choose to accept or reject Christ at this point in his account.
Part of what was happening with the teaching from Jesus was that He was teaching Scripture, not tradition of men; He was teaching them what God said, not what some famous Rabbi of bygone days had said. The Wesleyan quadrilateral is important but it must never be forgotten that the Scripture part of that is the preeminent portion, yet too many times tradition gets elevated above its proper place.
1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
1:26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
1:27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
1:28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
The whole subject of demonology is a difficult one, but no more so than the problem of the devil. The devil is an unclean spirit, because he has lost all the purity of his former nature, therefore he acts in direct opposition to the Holy Spirit of God, and by his suggestions defiles the spirits of men. There are many in our assemblies who quietly attend under merely formal teachers; but if the Lord comes with faithful ministers and holy doctrine then by his convincing spirit, they are ready to say, like this man, What have we to do with thee! There is potentially a hint of dishonesty in what that demon said in that it probably was well aware of the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and therefore it likely was attempting to cast doubt or deflect Jesus from what it feared Jesus might be about to command to happen.
No “disorder” could enable a man to know Jesus to be the Holy One of God. He desires to have nothing to do with Jesus, for he despairs of being saved by him, and dreads being destroyed by him. Consider whose language they speak, who say to the Almighty, “Depart from us”. This unclean spirit hated and dreaded Christ, because he knew him to be a Holy One; for the carnal mind is enmity against God, especially against his holiness. People who cannot stand to attend a Bible-believing/Bible-teaching Church here on earth should not expect to be able to tolerate Heaven.
When Christ by his grace delivers souls out of the hands of Satan, it is not without tumult in the soul; for that spiteful enemy will disquiet those whom he cannot destroy. This put all who saw it to considering, “What is this new doctrine?” A work as great often is accomplished now, yet men treat it with contempt and neglect. If this were not so, the conversion of a notorious wicked man to a sober, righteous, and godly life, by the preaching of a crucified Savior, should cause many to ask, “What doctrine is this?”
Charlie Spoke Truth
The student in the university may be so surrounded by an environment so polluted by the forces of darkness that he or she feels forced to compromise core beliefs in order to thrive or even survive. It is difficult to shine in an atmosphere heavily polluted by the forces of darkness, especially if the professors happen to be deeply under the sway of those forces. We are told, by their fruit ye shall know them. The business person, likewise, is often under immense pressure to compromise ethical and legal standards in order to satisfy the greed and dishonesty of associates or maybe even in an effort to keep the business afloat, “Just this one time…” which is a subtle snare that leads to further compromise.
Unless the Christ follower is prepared for evil assaults on his mind and heart, he will have great difficulty maintaining a Christian witness of personal holiness. Our reaction to the sinful world around us, however, must be more than just defensive. We must be concerned not only for our own purity of mind and heart, but also for the eternal destiny of those who would pollute us.
–pastorwardclinton
Charlie Kirk, American Patriot
Charlie Kirk was assassinated while exercising his first amendment rights at a gathering of mostly similarly minded individuals.
His honorable legacy includes engagement with students as well as the promotion of civil discourse. Some believe that he can’t be replaced but he mentored many people along the way and some of those individuals will pick up the torch he had lit for them and go boldly forth; it may be that some of them may do so timidly at first but they will become bolder and shall move forth also as workers who are approved by God for such a time as this.
May it be that more and more of those on the right who are also people of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob shall pick up the shield of faith, and the rest of the Armor of God, and begin to more fully engage in the battle against “Wickedness and principalities in high (and low) places.” True it is, that the left, for the most part, has no clue that they have aligned themselves with the forces of evil and darkness but those of us on the right, especially people of faith, must now begin moving forward in faith and assurance.
Assurance that God has not abandoned America yet. Part of the proof can be seen in the fact that God miraculously spared President Donald Trump from the assassin’s bullet for such a time as this.
There is no need to ask why Charlie’s life wasn’t spared as that is something that can be considered at a later time of God’s own choosing. It might very well be that Isaiah 57:1-2 comes into play {he, Charlie, being spared from the evil that is coming} or that it is time for those who have been touched and/or inspired by Charlie to boldly go forth and push back against the evils being pushed by the leftists in the land and helping them to come to the light of God.
-pastorwardclinton
Massive US Church Votes to Leave Woke Denomination
Christianity
A friend recently asked me if I could logically explain Christianity. I said absolutely not. I typically reside on a mental plane of logic and reason, and the entire concept that forms the foundation of what Christians believe is illogical. The construct of Christianity is built on the existence of an Entity that has no beginning or end, exists in all times simultaneously, is so purely perfect that the radiance of His goodness would instantly kill any non-perfect living being in His presence, has the power to create an infinite universe, the expanse of which is beyond human comprehension. Light years and billions and billions of planets without end, and yet on this tiny insignificant rock He chose to create life? Beautiful life, with unfathomable intricacies of all sorts. And then, of all things, chose to become a virtual insect by comparison and live among his creation to save the very beings that he created from the sins that separate them from His presence and secure their inevitable eternity in a place called Hell. A place devoid of all things that are good, unending pain, fire and anguish. And at the precipice of it all, as if that were not difficult enough to rationalize, this same Entity with all of this power chose to be horribly tortured and killed by the creations that He came to save by becoming a blood sacrifice Himself. Thereby returning them to their originally intended perfect state and providing a means for them to reside eternally in a place called heaven. Why? Because He loved us?
How can anyone find logic in that? It is simply unbelievable. Which is exactly why I find no difficulty in believing it. Everything about our existence is unbelievable. I need look no further for empirical evidence than literally everything around me. I am not a scientist, but I do know that everything we see is energy. Numerous forms of energy with magnificent power. One of the core concepts of Quantum theory is the possibility of everything. Multiple dimensions and space-time continuums boggle the sharpest of minds. Think about the inherent randomness and variety of all of the earthly creations. The microscopic world of neutrons, protons, electrons and quarks. DNA and chromosomes that make billions of humans unique. If every planet, or any other planet within the scope of our exploration housed any form of life I would find it more logical. But why just one, seemingly random planet that sustains life while all the others appear to be emptiness? And what about life itself? Nothing intrigues me more than pondering the very essence of life. Einstein’s E=Mc2 formula calculates the amount of energy in mass. But what about the energy that gives this vessel life and consciousness? It has no mass but it’s certainly energy. Your body has mass (For most of us, much more mass than we care to have!) but your lifeforce does not. A fundamental law of thermal dynamics is that energy can neither be created or destroyed. It can only be transformed from one form to another. So where then does your lifeforce go when you die? It can’t be destroyed, and it has no mass so it can’t be transferred back into the earth. But it has to be transferred somewhere. And what about love? Could there be a more illogical thing than love? Nothing about love is logical or rational. Love causes us to willingly do wildly irrational and illogical things. Even to the point of death. Doesn’t the knowledge of that truth alone explain why the God, that is Himself love did what he did? The more I try to understand anything, the more I realize how pathetically little that I know about it. It is my contention then, that faith is not simply a choice to believe in something without proof. But lack of faith is an inability to see the very proof that we are currently immersed in. The proof of God is all around us. It lies in the illogical randomness and impossibility of everything that we see and think we know. There can simply be no other explanation for me. None of this is happenstance or coincidence. It can’t be. It has to be the result of someone so fantastically superior and so far beyond our comprehension that we will never be able to explain it. Therein lies my faith.
Church
Long but worth the read🥰
A member of the church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going.
After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him.
It was a chilly evening.
The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.
The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent.
The host watched all this in quiet contemplation.
As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.
Soon it was cold and dead.
Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.
The pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave.
He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire.
Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, ‘Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the firey sermon.
I will be back in church next Sunday.’
We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.
The Lord is my Shepherd —– that’s a Relationship!
I shall not want —– that’s Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures —-that’s Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters —–that’s Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul —– that’s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness –that’s Guidance!
For His name sake —– that’s Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death–that’sTesting!
I will fear no evil —– that’s Protection!
For Thou art with me —– that’s Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me —–that’s Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies——that’s Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil —–that’s Consecration!
My cup runneth over —– that’s Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life—-that’s Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord —–that’s Security!
Forever —– that’s Eternity!
Face it, God loves you!
What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! ❤🙏🏼
-from a friend
Wrong or Right?
Ecclesiastes 10:2 Fight the diabolical Great Reset with the Great Commission and pray in accordance with 2nd Chronicles 7:14
Revelation 2:18-29 Thyatira
Rev 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
Rev 2:19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Rev 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Rev 2:24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
Rev 2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Verse 19 gives the impression that all is well with this church. But we quickly find otherwise. First the commendation, or praise, then that which needs to be corrected because the Christ will not ignore the faults; a lesson which we all need to take careful note of. …Hello…
Like the saints in Pergamos, the believers tolerated sin in the church. In Pergamos the false teachers were compared to Balaam and Balak. Here the false teacher is compared to Jezebel, the proponent of idolatry and immorality. Idolatry and immorality usually go together, and Jezebel personifies both (1st Kings 16:29-34; 21; 2nd Kings 9:30-37) The teaching was being spread that self-indulgence was better than self-discipline and more.
The story of Jezebel’s reign is the story of the quick corruption and utter downfall of the Kingdom of Israel. Idol feasts were followed by “chambering and wantonness” and corruption spread rapidly among the youth of Israel. In a like manner a love of talk about forbidden things was setting in, regard for the law was being weakened; audacity was taking the place of reason and conservatism.
Notice, however, the angel of this church is not charged with teaching this doctrine but with tolerating it.
The church ruler seems to have had an inadequate sense of the authority of law. Both he and the church are charged with neglect of duty. The woman called herself a “prophetess” and the thinking may have been “Who knows but that God may be speaking through her notwithstanding all that is suspicious in her teaching?” even the “judge not” thing may have come into play. The strong of Christian character may not be prone to succumbing but that does not negate their responsibility to their fellow believers in the Christ.
Not everybody in the fellowship was guilty of sin, and the Lord did not warn them. Instead, He encouraged them to hold to the truth and be faithful.
The minister was not charged with sharing the doctrine but with tolerating it; both he and the church were charged with tolerating it and warned of their neglect of duty. Doubtless, he bore with her because she was a woman. The gracious tolerance of a strong man often takes this form. It is very hard for such a one to assert himself at all; most hard where self-assertion seems most easy. Next the woman called herself a prophetess. Here comes in regard for the freedom of prophecy; the very inspiration of the Church was a hindrance. After all, who knows whether God is not speaking by her, notwithstanding all that is in suspicion in her teaching that was contrary to scripture.
The appeal to reality. Nothing is more needed than occasional plain speech about the foulness which lurks in much that professes to be an enlarged spirituality. They who encourage display of the peculiar charms of womanhood and seek to advance public causes by constant speech of things which nature and piety tell us should be held in strict reserve, degrade the women they supposedly seek to emancipate and brutalize the man. A corrupt doctrine will lead to a corrupt life. Creed and conduct have vital connection with each other, a very vital connection indeed.
— The above is an excerpt from a forthcoming book by Pastor Ward Clinton. See some of my books here
Smyrna of Revelation
Rev 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Rev 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
The church at Ephesus needed to be reminded that His watchful eye was upon them, to stimulate them to recall their first love, and to do their first works; but the church of Smyrna, which was more pure, and had yet to pass through fiery trials, needed most of all to dwell upon the unchangeableness of His power and love.
The name comes from “Myrrh,” which is a bitter herb, a suitable name for a church facing persecution. Would the believers be fearful or faithful? There were genuine Jewish Christians among them, and there were Jewish pretenders. He knows who are the right-hearted, and He knows who are insincere.
Suffering can enrich us, even if we think we are poor; and what people think is wealth might turn out to be poverty (3:17). Although materially poor, this church was spiritually wealthy because it truly had the Christ. The Christ assures His people that He is intimately acquainted with every feature of their history. “I know …” The “I know” of love is the smile of God.
The 10 days? The grand principle is that there is a limit to the suffering of the Church and the saints. The Christ soothes and emboldens His saints by the promise of infinite compensation. He does not promise zero suffering in this life but He will not permit it to go beyond what we are capable of handling. And the Christ will not only deliver His saints from the sphere of suffering; He will introduce them into the sphere of eternal rest and joy.
What difference does it make if people slander you so long as you have the Lord’s approval?
pastorwardclinton.com
pastorwardclinton 