Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 37

Los pasos de un hombre bueno son ordenados por el Señor,Y se deleita en su camino.Aunque caiga, no será derribado por completo;Porque el Señor lo sostiene con su mano.

Salmo 37

Para estudio adicional: 1 Pedro 5:6-11

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 37

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Psalm 37

For further study: 1 Peter 5:6-11

A Deep Lament

My soul is in deep lament and my heart cannot be comforted. Sleep does not comfort. Food has no flavor. I sigh as I move about and do my work. Though I pour the pure words of God’s soul into me morning and evening and meditate on them day and night, I can find no peace. My prayers are a jumbled mess of chaos. I know no words to comfort my soul, only lamenting and grieving.

My heart is grieved for those who have wandered and wander still. My soul is vexed by those who have strayed from the fold and are among the rocks and forests where those who would devour them lurk. They have turned aside in order to pursue the works of their own hands. They have set up idols for themselves; not the graven images of times past, but idols of themselves, of their money, of their possessions and even their own righteousness. They are comforted that they have met the requirements of righteousness and continue feeding themselves on the meat of their pride.

They do not heed the warnings of the Most High God. They are confident in the work of their own hands and the strength of their own will. They will not humble themselves and exalt the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They seek Him only for a fleeting moment. They see Him as a reflection on the water and then turn away, forgetting what they have seen and not bringing Him to mind again unless some calamity befalls them. And there will be calamities; many of them. Like the pains of a woman about to give birth, calamities will come. Stronger, deadlier, and more often will they come. They are a warning that the wrath of the Most High God is poised to be let go upon a wicked people.

I am mocked because I call them to humble themselves and seek the Lord. They accuse me of teaching falsehood because I call them to humility before the Holy Lamb of God rather than praise them for their own righteous works. They ignore me when I cry out because they have taken to themselves teachers and teachings which tickle their ears and comfort them in their own righteousness. Their ears are stopped up. Their eyes do not see. They have been struck mute. They have become like their idols. They refuse to call out for mercy or to praise the Most High God.

They call me a dreamer and will not open their ears to hear and their eyes to see. They scoff at my warnings. Though the warnings of my lips are from a heart which is burdened for them and a soul which aches for their delusion, they would toss me into a pit. They would wipe their hands and rejoice that they were rid of me. Yet even from the pit I would cry out for them to humble themselves and exalt the Lamb of God.

I am called a hypocrite because I was the worst among them. My sins reached to the depths of depravity, but I know the deliverance of the Shepherd. I know the price paid by the Redeemer of my soul. I was among the rocks and lost in the forest. The wolves and lions were all around me. They had rushed upon me and would have torn me to pieces, but the Shepherd never gave up seeking me. I heard the sound of His voice calling to me as the enemy leapt upon me. I was wounded, but He found me, He lifted me to His shoulder and He carried me back into His fold. He gave me new life and He will keep me in His presence from now and forevermore.

Listen to me! Hear my cry! Feel the crushing weight of my lament upon your hearts. Turn away from the works of your own hands. Do not follow after your own will and the desires of your flesh. Turn away from the idols you have set up for yourselves. Turn away from trusting in your own righteousness. Turn away from believing that you have sealed yourselves for the Kingdom of God. There is only one who can seal you in His kingdom; even the Holy Lamb of God.

Fall on your face before the Most High God! Exalt the Holy Lamb of God! He alone is worthy to receive glory, honor, power, riches and blessings. He alone will save His people; the sheep of His pasture. He alone has the power to turn back the lions and the wolves who would devour you. Do not trust in your own counsel. Do not despise the warnings of the Most High. Humble yourselves and exalt Him!

In only a little while, He will come. For those of His fold, He will come to lead them to greener pastures and give them rest beside still waters. But for those who are proud and glory in the work of their own hands He will come as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Out of His mouth will come a sharp sword and a rod will be in His hand. Humble yourselves and cry out for mercy, you who would escape His wrath. Silence your defense before Him and wait for Him to lift you up. For the King of Kings will have His dominion over all of creation.

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 34

Goza y ve que el Señor es bueno; Bienaventurado el hombre que confía en él.

Salmo 34

Para estudio adicional: 1 Pedro 2:1-10

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 34

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Psalm 34

For further study: 1 Peter 2:1-10

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 33

Bienaventurada la nación cuyo Dios es el Señor,El pueblo que ha elegido como su propia herencia.

Salmo 33


Para estudio adicional: 2 Timoteo 3:12-17

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 33

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Psalm 33

For further study: 2 Timothy 3:12-17

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 32

Yo reconozco mi pecado a ti, y mi iniquidad no he escondido. Yo dije: "Confesaré mis transgresiones al Señor", y perdonaste la iniquidad de mi pecado.

Salmo 32

Para más estudio: Santiago 3: 1-12

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 32

I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. 

Psalm 32

For further study: James 3:1-12

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 26

Tu misericordia está delante de mis ojos, y he andado en tu verdad.

Salmo 26

Para estudio adicional: 2 Tesalonicenses 2: 7-12

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 26

Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.

Psalm 26

For further study: 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 20

Nos regocijaremos en tu salvación,Y en el nombre de nuestro Dios estableceremos nuestras banderas!

Salmo 20

Para más estudio: Hechos 4: 8-12

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 20

We will rejoice in your salvation,And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!

Psalm 20

For further study: Acts 4:8-12

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 17

Guárdame como la manzana de tus ojos;Escóndeme bajo la sombra de tus alas

Salmo 17

Para más estudio: Mateo 10: 24-32

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 17

Keep me as the apple of Your eye;Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.

Psalm 17

For further study: Matthew 10:24-32

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 16

Oh Señor, Tú eres la porción de mi herencia y mi copa; Mantienes mi fortuna.

Salmo 16

Para más estudio: Romanos 8:12-17

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 16

Oh Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; you maintain my lot.

Psalm 16

For further study: Romans 8:12-17

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 14

Todos se han desviado, se han corrompido juntos; No hay quien haga el bien, no, no uno.

Salmo 14

Para más estudio: Romanos 3:10-26

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 14

They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.

Psalm 14

For further study: Romans 3:10-26

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 11

Si los fundamentos son destruidos, ¿qué pueden hacer los justos?

Salmo 11

Para estudio adicional: Números 6: 22-27

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 11

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Psalm 11

For further study: Numbers 6:22-27

Canciones de la humilidad y liberacion: Salmo 8

¿Qué es el hombre que el Señor es consciente de él o que Él lo visitaría?

Salmo 8 

Estudio Adicional: Juan 1: 14-18

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 8

What is man that the Lord is mindful of him or that He would visit him?

Psalm 8 

Further Study: John 1:14-18

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 6

Humble yourself and the Lord will hear your supplication and receive your prayer.

Psalm 6 

Further Study: James 4:1-10 (You really have to read this!) 

Humíllense y el Señor oirá su súplica y recibirá su oración.

Salmo 6 

Estudio Adicional: Santiago 4: 1-10 (¡De verdad tenéis que leer esto!) 

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 4

Are you dwelling in the peace and safety of the Lord?

Psalm 4

Further Study: Colossians 3:12-17

¿Estás viviendo en la paz y seguridad del Señor?

Salmo 4

Estudio Adicional: Colosenses 3: 12-17

Songs of Humility and Deliverance: Psalm 1

Where are you walking, standing and sitting?

Psalm 1

Further Study: Proverbs 4:14-19

 ¿Dónde sigue consejo, detiene y cultiva la amistad?

Salmo 1

Estudio Adicional: Proverbios 4:14-19

Songs of Humility and Deliverance

Twenty something years ago, when I was teaching a Sunday school class, I did something for my own edification that I don't think I ever used outside of my own prayer and bible study. I organized the Psalms into different categories based on the model of the Lord's Prayer.

I have been reading through the Psalms as my morning study for a couple of months and was coming to the end this morning. I was considering going back to Psalm 1 and starting over when I saw the notations in the Outline to Psalms I had made in my bible. I started looking at how I had categorized them and my eyes were drawn to those dealing with humility and deliverance. I read several of them and saw a pattern forming. I felt led to share that with you.

If you read my recent blogs, you know that I have been looking at the signs of the Great American Eclipse and the Revelation 12 sign in a very different light than many. Though I don't predict any great apocalyptic events to surround these signs, I do believe that they are warnings, especially the eclipse.

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. - Genesis 1:14

Throughout the scriptures, God has used signs in the heavens and especially eclipses as warnings to nations. The eclipse which passed over Nineveh when Jonah went to preach to them is one such occasion and it was a signal that Nineveh had 40 days to repent. In fact, Jesus referred to that sign when responding to the Pharisees in Matthew 16:4:

“A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

I believe that we need to take whatever warning God is giving us in the eclipse of August 21st very seriously. There are two reasons for this.

• Not only has the U.S. fallen away from the Lord as a nation, but nations throughout the world have fallen away. God calls on His people to humble themselves and seek Him in order to heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
• Because those involved in witchcraft, sorcery and satanic ritual consider eclipses to be highly spiritual, those who worship the powers of the darkness will be out in full force. Christians need to be fully armed against the demonic forces that are going to be released, for we do not struggle only against flesh and blood but also against principalities, spiritual powers and rulers of darkness. (Ephesians 6:12)

We should not cower in fear, predict some coming destruction, nor set dates for the rapture of the Church. Instead, we are called to humble ourselves and seek our Lord. Therefore, I believe it is timely, as things from God usually are, for me to share this arrangement of the Psalms with you beginning tomorrow morning, Friday, August 18th and extending forward for the next 42 days.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

I will be posting these songs and meditations in both English and Spanish. They will contain a link to the Psalm in Bible Gateway as well as a point of focus and a passage of scripture for further study, nothing more.

My prayer is that we who are called by the name of Jesus will come together in focused prayer which will bring us to humility and direct our meditation on looking to our holy and sovereign King of kings for our deliverance.

May God bless you all richly as you seek Him.

OVERCOMING THE GREATEST DECEPTION OF MANKIND

Rather than giving warning after warning about the great deceptions which have been among us, are among us and are coming, I am going to help you focus on how to defeat any and all deception. It is simple to understand, but takes diligence to fully accomplish.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt. 11:15; Matt. 13:9 and 43; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8; Luke 14:35)

What on earth was Jesus talking about? We were created with ears and they work well for hearing all sorts of things. Why would we not be able to hear what is there for us to hear?

I often return to this sentence when discussing discernment and understanding. In context, Jesus was referring to the spiritual ability to understand the parables He was telling. This is not difficult to interpret, because it is very literally spelled out. Let’s gather in the context from Matthew 13:3-17.

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

This is more than a statement of understanding and discernment.

Being able to come to an understanding of God’s word is something that is granted to us by the Holy Spirit. We do not gain it from our own knowledge and wisdom. Growing in faith or sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit, which prepares our spiritual bodies that were born when we were regenerated by Jesus. This is not a difficult connection to make, but there is another side to this coin which I have bumped into several times this past week during my prayer and study time. I think it is important that I share it with you, because it brings fuller meaning to what Jesus meant when He cried out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

To unravel and reveal this further, let’s take a look at the 6^th chapter of Isaiah from which Jesus quotes. This quotation comes from the scene of Isaiah’s commissioning. Immediately after Isaiah responded, “Here I am. Send me,” God responds with the words Jesus quoted. There is a train of thought that I don’t want you to miss, so keep this scene in your mind as we visit a passage in Romans 1:22-27:

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

God’s commission to Isaiah and this passage from Romans are very much the same. God is delivering a stubborn and stiff-necked people over to their sins.

“You wanna chaw? Then let’s chaw!”

On more than one occasion, I have heard stories of how different individuals were broken of their bad habits through a method that is pretty aggressive, but has been pretty successfully applied in the stories I’ve heard. The story usually goes something like this:

I’ll never forget the day Pa caught me chewing tobacco. He took me out behind the barn, sat me down on a stump, cut off a wad of tobacco and stuffed it in my mouth.

“You wanna chaw?”

I shook my head, knowing the state he was in and that responding with a yes was not my best option. After a few minutes with the chaw in my mouth, I leaned forward to spit.

“Boy! If you spit, I’m going to knock you into next week! You wanted to chaw, so let’s chaw!” Pa commanded.

Since I couldn’t spit, there was nowhere else for the black juice built up in my mouth to go, so I swallowed it. The minute I did, I felt things go off inside of me that I knew weren’t supposed to be happening. My stomach was in rebellion, my head started spinning and I could feel my body tingle all over. I looked into Pa’s eyes, which were cold as steel as he watched me.

I’m not sure what it looks like on the outside when somebody turns green, but I knew what it felt like on the inside. I could tell that it wouldn’t be long before my insides would be trying to put themselves on the outside.

“You like to chaw, huh?” Pa asked.

My response was to lean forward and explode into dumping the contents of my mouth and my stomach out on the ground.

“Pretty pleasurable to chaw isn’t it, boy!” Pa mocked.

When I was finished spilling all that I had inside me on the ground in front of that stump, Pa cut off another chunk of tobacco and put it into my mouth. The scene repeated itself several times. I wasn’t sure if the tobacco or my life would give out first. I finished the supply of tobacco I had so proudly purchased some hours before, spilling that last chunk and the black poison it had formed inside me onto the ground alongside all of the rest of it.

Without a word, Pa got up and left. I was sick for three days after that, but I ain’t never wanted a chaw since.

God gives those who rebel over to their sins

In the same manner as the story above, God gives those who rebel against Him over to their sins. Besides our rebellion, what sin is He giving us over to? The clues are found in the passage in Isaiah as well as Jesus’ words when He quoted from it and are alluded to in two passages from Psalms:

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them. - Psalm 115:4-8 and Psalm 135:15-18

Those who rebel against God are made to be just like their idols

They become foolish, blind, deaf, mute and dead, just like the images which they form for themselves. Jesus’ call goes beyond discernment, but is a call to those who are not given over to idols. It is a call to those who do not lust after the will of the flesh. In terms that ought to penetrate to your core:

Jesus calls to those who do not put their trust in silver and gold.

Jesus calls to those who do not put their trust in the work of their hands.

Those who put their trust in those things are guilty of worshiping idols and guilty of falling under what Paul wrote in Romans 1:28-32:

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

How do we respond?

We respond by turning away from idols and exalting Jesus. This was the cure for Israel and it is the cure for all of the generations down through history. Jesus has rightful dominion over all the earth. Jesus is to be exalted above all idols, teachings, works of our hands, all silver and gold, all nations and kingdoms; ALL THINGS!

Both Psalm 115 and 135 end with the commands to:

Bless the Lord and Praise the Lord!

Those are not just commands for singing and worship, but attitudes of humble submission and exaltation of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Do not be led astray or deceived by idols, false teachings and trusting in the works of your hands. Exalt Jesus and overcome the greatest deception of mankind.

We Do Not Need a New Prophetic Word

I am amazed at the explosion of “prophetic words” that are springing up in every direction. Warnings of every kind are coming from the direction of all four winds and the thousands of variations between them.

The phrases, “God told me,” or “God showed me,” or “God gave me a vision,” are used to lift a person up to a supreme level of authority. After all, what authority is higher than a word spoken directly by God? The problem becomes evident immediately following that phrase of self-exaltation by the speaker. I’ve seen it over and over and over. Though not a specific example, someone sharing these new prophetic words might say:

“God came to me in a dream and told me that on November 14^th, 2017, He is going to destroy America with an asteroid which will hit right in the middle of Nebraska and touch off a series of earthquakes which will completely wipe the United States of America off of the face of the earth.”

November 14^th, 2017 comes without incident and rolls over into November 15^th and 16^th and 17^th, etc. So, evidently, it wasn’t God who told them that an asteroid was going to hit right in the middle of Nebraska. That ought to be a humbling experience and cause a person to reconsider the source of their dreams and interpretations, right? Instead, they get a new “prophetic word” a few days later. This “prophetic word” explains away their error concerning the other “prophetic word,” and these people come up with a new date and a new “prophesy.”

THESE ARE FRAUDS

These are false prophets and false teachers who are being used by Satan to deceive those who are weak. Through their lies, he frustrates their faith and makes them begin to doubt. Those who are truly weak in their faith, without the power of the Holy Spirit to teach them discernment, might fall away completely, but consider this:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. – 2 Timothy 3:1-9

This warning of Paul has applied for the past 2000 years, it is actually, the nature of man, so, in some form, these things have always existed. In my lifetime, these issues have multiplied exponentially. I have allowed myself, on occasion, to be swept away by some of these things as well. There is great appeal to some of these teachings, because they make our flesh tingle and give us something to grasp and hold onto; something we can sink our fingers into. They seem reasonable and logical. In some cases, passages of scripture can be found and manipulated in such a way as to make them appear right. Just sit on that idea for a moment.

Jannes and Jambres

Though not specifically called out in Old Testament scriptures, Jewish tradition named two of the sorcerers in Pharaoh’s palace as Jannes and Jambres. In the passage above, Paul is referring to the following passage from Exodus 7:10-12:

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

Paul’s point is clear. Though something can sound and look like the exact same thing as godliness, it is not and will be swallowed up by true godliness. Eventually, those things which appear to be godly will reveal themselves to be foolish. Yet even when they prove to be foolish, some people continue to follow them, because they have a form of godliness, but deny its power.

What is a form of godliness?

I want to zero in on a phrase in Paul’s teaching to Timothy above:

“having a form of godliness, but denying its power.”

What is a form of godliness? This is a question that I have sought after for years, because I believed that within it is a profound principle for changing our lives. I think I have finally narrowed it down. To get at the root of it, I’m going to wander away for a moment to examine what is meant by the word form. More specifically, I want to take a look at Plato’s Theory of Forms. Without going into too great of detail, here is how Wikipedia defines this philosophical theory:

Forms theory is Plato's argument that non-physical (but substantial) forms (or ideas) represent the most accurate reality. When used in this sense, the word form or idea is often capitalized. Plato speaks of these entities only through the characters (primarily Socrates) of his dialogues who sometimes suggest that these Forms are the only objects of study that can provide knowledge; thus even apart from the very controversial status of the theory, Plato's own views are much in doubt. However, the theory is considered a classical solution to the problem of universals.

This philosophy, in essence, says that there is a perfect conception of the things that we see and don’t see, which helps to define what a thing is. A dog is derived from a perfect conception of dogness, so to speak. Honesty is derived from a perfect conception of honesty which we cannot see, but can define because of the concept or idea of honesty. It is pretty logical and reasonable on the surface. It is the only way we can truly define things and come to some understanding of them from our limited, human perspective.

Because of Timothy’s Greek roots, I believe Paul was talking about this theory when he used the phrase, “form of godliness.” So, using Form Theory, there is a perfect conception of godliness which defines godliness. Likely, that conception is formed by the religious traditions of your family and/or church. From that conception, we come to define and gain knowledge of godliness, but that is not necessarily true godliness. Why? Because though our knowledge of godliness might define it for us, it is lacking the power of godliness. What is it lacking?

What do forms of godliness lack?

Knowledge of God, knowledge of Jesus and even professing that Jesus is Lord do not measure up to godliness. That’s a little bit scary when you first look at it, though it should not surprise you because Jesus said, “not everyone one who calls me Lord will enter into the Kingdom.” (Matt. 7:21) So, what power is being denied? Ezekiel 37:1-10 gives us a wonderful picture:

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 

And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 

Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 

Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’” 

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 

Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” 

So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

The bones rose up and took on the form of men, but they were not made alive until the breath of God entered into them. Genesis 2:7 says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” The breath of God coming into mankind is what brought him to life in the beginning and is what brings us to life in our new birth. In our new birth, this breath of God is His Holy Spirit.

What does the Holy Spirit do?

To answer his question, let’s look at what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit:

·         Reinforces Jesus’ teachings. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” – John 14:26

·         Bears Witness of Jesus.  “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” – John 15:26

·         Guides you in truth. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” – John 16:13

The Holy Spirit will testify to the truth and He will guide you in the truth. That truth has already been written down. God’s plan for the salvation of His people has already been laid out and revealed. We come to understand it and apply the power of our rebirth to our lives when, by the Holy Spirit, we are given eyes to see and ears to hear.

 “You can’t handle the truth!”

In reality, this statement is truer than the scriptwriter for the movie really understood. You can’t handle the truth. You can’t know the truth through looking at its forms. The power of the truth cannot be grasped hold of and you cannot sink your fingers into it.

 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 16:17

This was Jesus’ response to Peter’s confession of faith. This statement should drive all of us into a state of humility concerning our own confession of faith. Our flesh and blood does not reveal to us the truth of Jesus’ Lordship.

Our forms of godliness do not bring us to the truth. The Holy Spirit comes to us and testifies to us concerning who Jesus is before we ever come to any understanding of Him or confession of faith. We don't save ourselves through some great choice we make. We are saved because understanding is given to us from above. Following that initial confession, little by little, we are guided into a deeper truth by the Word of God and His Spirit opening our eyes and ears to recognizing it.

Why We Do Not Need New Prophesies

We’ve come full circle. You ought to have a solid grip on the phrase, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power.” How does that apply to the subject of this post? It’s simple really. If the Holy Spirit guides those who are His own in all truth, He is going to begin our guiding using His already revealed Word (I capitalize it because the first chapter of John declares that Jesus is the Word).

Knowing and understanding the Word is an act of humility and submission rather than an act of increasing our knowledge and wisdom. Those who exalt themselves with the words “God told me…” or “God showed me in a dream…” need to check themselves and their egos.

How should we interpret the signs we see today?

We are seeing portions of prophesy fulfilled today. I won't deny that. Because these signs have increased in both frequency and intensity (like a woman in labor), we are probably seeing the beginning of the end unfold in front of us, but the day and hour has been revealed to no one and we are to immediately discount the testimony of anyone who says they do know the day and hour. It begins with humility and self-control. Here is an example:

I have had visions; some very clear ones. Some of my visions seemed to have set certain dates for certain events, but when I checked them against scripture, they did not work out unless I added my own knowledge of scripture to them and manipulated them to fit. Instead of declaring those dates to be some great future event, I looked to their purpose in how they apply to my weakness and limited understanding instead of throwing their weight onto everyone else.

In most dreams and visions which we have we are not being given some new, special revelation about how God is going to carry out his plan of redemption or to formulate some date. God's plan of redemption and destruction is already laid out. His prophets revealed His plan through thousands of years of preaching and writing.

I have no special knowledge beyond what was given to the writers of scripture, in fact, the last chapter of Revelation even warns us of the consequences of assuming that we can add to or take away from what is written in God's Word. Rather than being inspired toward pride, it is better to err on the side of caution and humble yourself. If you need an illustration of this look at the calls of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel and how they responded to God's call to prophesy.

From the visions I have seen, I have searched God’s prophesies and warnings throughout scripture and come to a single conclusion every time. It is no special knowledge but a path to follow through the already revealed Word. I’ve spelled it out in a number of different ways in my writings over the last few years. Here it is in simple form:

We must humble ourselves before the Holy Lamb of God.

We need to stop assuming that we will leisurely skate (a prideful attitude) into heaven by our own knowledge and good works, and recognize that salvation comes from the Lord. (Ephesians 2)

Our salvation did not come from flesh and blood; it was not our decision which saved us. We were as dead as those dry bones in Ezekiel 37 until life was breathed into us and then we began to believe. We were brought to confess Jesus as Lord in the exact same way as Peter was. (Matt. 16:3-18)

Holding onto some form of godliness (family and church traditions, theological outlines, books we've read, carefully crafted timelines, etc.), which we have chosen as our hope, guide and assurance, will lead us to foolishness. (Galatians 3)

Our Holy Lamb has laid out the path for us; He guides us in His truth and teaches us how to discern the truth of His scriptures from the lies which are all around us. (Revelation 7:16-17)

Though we stumble, in my case stumble so far that I dug a deep pit for myself when I fell, Jesus, by the power of His Holy Spirit, will lift us up again and finish the work which he began in us. (Philippians 1:6)

We should not look to our flesh, which can only understand things by their forms, but put our flesh to death and embrace our new birth through the power of Jesus' redemption. (Romans 7)

Salvation comes from the Lord and we ought to be looking in His direction rather than focusing on our own weak understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We must focus ourselves on this:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. – Deuteronomy 6:5 

This should be our response to the sound of Jesus’ voice as He calls to us through His Word and by His Spirit, even when He shows us a clear vision.

It was not Gideon's doubt which made him lay out the fleeces, nor did God see it as an insult or testing of God, it was sound obedience on Gideon's part to discern the Spirit. (Judges 6)

Humbling ourselves and testing the spirits against the Word of God is our defense against false teachers and false prophets and the great assurance of our salvation. Paul gives us an emphatic command concerning those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power:

And from such people turn away!

That statement includes depending upon our own, flesh. We should not trust our own knowledge and flesh, ought to thoroughly examine our own motivations, and flee from those which do not line up with God's Word.

We are to turn away, run away and stay away from these people and their teachings. Running away does you no good unless you have somewhere to run to. Run to the Holy Lamb of God and abide in Him (John 15), for without Him, we have only a form of godliness, but deny its power.