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And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:4) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23) |
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There are three great symbols of Judaism. They portray God's will for mankind. They are the altar, the lampstand, and the booth. |
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The altar tells us that God must be approached through sacrifice. God is more than a father, a philosopher, a statesman, a teacher. God is the Consuming Fire. We understand very little about God. Christ has come to introduce us to the Father. After billions of eons we may have some small comprehension of God. |
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The fact that God would sacrifice His Son to save mankind and be appeased by His blood reveals that we do not understand God at all! No human can approach God other than through the blood of God's Lamb, and after that by offering his or her own body as a living sacrifice. |
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The lampstand portrays the Holy Spirit of God. There are only two ways in which people can live, move, and have their being. One is by the life of the flesh. The other is by the Life of the Spirit. It is God's will that all people live by His Spirit. To live after the flesh results only in death. |
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The booth shows us God's ultimate intention. It is to have a kingdom in which God governs from within each individual. |
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Some will reap the inner kingdom one hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. How much of the kingdom we possess depends on how willing we are to be pruned. |
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To be saved, in the ultimate sense, is to be permitted to enter the new world of righteousness in which every person lives with his life on the altar of God; in which every person lives by the Spirit of God; in which every person has a portion of God in his inner personality. |
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There is the outer Kingdom of God that will govern the creation from the Throne of God located in the new Jerusalem. |
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But no person can enter the outer kingdom until first the inner kingdom has been established. Until we are born again we can neither see nor enter the Kingdom of God. |
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We have been saved, we have been at Pentecost (the lampstand) and now we are pressing toward Tabernacles, toward the Kingdom of God. If you have been camped at Pentecost, get up on your feet. The cloud and the fire are moving forward. Moses, the priests and Levites, the tribe of Judah (praise) are marching toward the land. Can you hear the shofar, the ram's horn? |
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There are ranks in the Kingdom of God and they are well worth the taking. Many that are last in time shall be first in the Kingdom. The throne is for you if you want it! |
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And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. (I John 3:5,6) |
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There are two kinds of righteousness that come to us as part of the new covenant. The first is imputed (ascribed) righteousness. God sovereignly forgives our sins through the blood of the Lord Jesus and imputes, or ascribes, Jesus' own righteousness to us as we put our faith in Him. On the basis of our repentance and profession of faith in Christ, God regards us as acceptable and pleasing in His sight. |
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The second kind of righteousness is actual deliverance from the nature and effects of sin. It is the removal of the presence of sin from us so we do not sin any more. We no longer practice the actions, such as fornication, lying, stealing, murder, occult practices, and drunkenness, that are contrary to the law of God. Also we obey God without question in all matters in which He speaks to us. |
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The first kind of righteousness, imputed righteousness, is the foundation of the new covenant. We customarily refer to receiving imputed righteousness as being "saved by grace." Imputed righteousness is the foundation of Christian preaching and teaching. |
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There is little understanding of the second kind of righteousness. Yet it is the second kind that is the primary purpose of the new covenant. |
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The Lord Jesus came to remove sin from us; not only or even primarily the guilt of our sin but the actual presence of sin. According to the Book of First John, Christians are not to be sinning. When we sin we are to confess that sin, obtaining both forgiveness and cleansing. We then are restored to God's Presence. The New Testament does not permit the continued practice of known sin in the life of the believer. |
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There is no sin in the Kingdom of God. We cannot enter the Kingdom of God while we are practicing sin. |
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There are relatively few verses in the New Testament that speak of imputed (ascribed) righteousness. However there are numerous passages in the New Testament that proclaim the necessity for the practice of righteous behavior on the part of the believer. By the practice of righteous behavior we mean: |
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Turning away from the world and all its enticements, the entertainment offered by the world, and the world's communication systems. We are to lead a wholesome, normal life whenever possible but are not to be caught up in the secular, materialistic patterns of pleasure, competition, and security based on the acquisition of money. |
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Shunning moral uncleanness, covetousness, stealing, drunkenness, drugs, and other defilements of the body, gossiping, anger, spite, violence, and all forms of the occult. |
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Recognizing that our calling as a saint is the supreme purpose of all we are and do. Our prime energies must be directed toward our personal consecration and service to God. We no longer are free to do as we will, to pursue our own ambitions and desires. |
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If we are not diligent in serving the Lord in these areas we are practicing sin. |
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The teaching that Christians must not be practicing sin is not popular in our day. There is a tremendous overemphasis on the grace of forgiveness. Now God desires that the teaching of righteous, holy, and obedient behavior be restored. God wants His commandments kept! (from Deliverance From Sin) |
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Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (Romans 8:12) |
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The belief that as long as we are alive in the world we must continue to sin comes from ignorance of the provisions of the new covenant. Under the new covenant, the authority of the blood and the power of the Spirit work together with the faith and obedience of the believer to deliver him from sin. There is no sin over which we cannot achieve victory through Christ Jesus. We must confess our sins, repent of them thoroughly, and pray unceasingly to God for the determination to resist them through the grace of God. |
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We are not to strive, become impatient with ourselves, or grow angry or despairing when we find we are bound by some uncleanness. Rather we are to abide in Christ Jesus, knowing it is His will that we gain complete victory in every area in which He leads us. |
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What sin is it that Christ cannot overcome in us? Fornication? Hatred? A vicious anger? Violence? Unforgiveness? Profanity? Lying? Stealing? Drunkenness? Bitterness? Gossiping? Criticizing? Christ is more than conqueror of each of these and of all other sins and disobediences that hinder us. |
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We shall be delivered from sinful deeds when we seek God's help in Jesus' name. A period of time may be required before we gain control of our behavior but the Scripture promises victory. We cannot be forced to sin if we belong to Jesus. We are not obligated to satisfy the cravings of our body and soul. Sin cannot maintain dominion over us if we are determined to serve the Lord Jesus. |
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The light of the testimony of the Christian churches has been nearly extinguished because of the sins of the Christians. |
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But, one may ask, did not the Apostle Paul state he could not do the things he wished because of the presence of the law of sin in his flesh? |
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Paul was referring to the moral agony of the righteous person who determines not to sin, not to break God's laws, and then finds himself or herself doing what he or she despises. However, Paul did not mean by this we Christians should resign ourselves to moral defeat. He meant we cannot keep the Law of Moses, or any other law, by will power alone. |
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In the eighth chapter of Romans Paul instructs us that we, being under the new covenant, can put sin to death through the power of the Spirit of God. |
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Under the old covenant there was no provision for deliverance from the law of sin dwelling in our body. Under the new covenant we have the born-again experience, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the body and blood of Christ, and the ministries and gifts of the Holy Spirit. |
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Under the new covenant we can overcome Satan, the world, and our own lusts and self-centeredness. We can go from victory to victory if we are determined to do so, because God has given us of His Divine Nature so we may be able to escape the lustful corruption that is in the world. |
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When the Holy Spirit convicts us of a sin we are to deal with that particular sin through the grace of God. We are to leave the remainder of our sinful, self-centered nature under the guard of the blood of Christ. |
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There is total victory in the Lord Jesus! |
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Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) |
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The belief that the purpose of receiving Christ is that we may go to Heaven when we die, and that going to Heaven is God's solution to the problem of sin in our life, is not scriptural. It cannot be supported by the Old Testament or the New Testament. |
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Here we have one of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity; yet it is without foundation in the Scriptures. |
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The purpose of accepting Christ is not to go to Heaven. This is not to say there is no Heaven for there surely is a place in the spirit realm where the Father, Jesus, and the saints and angels dwell. But the purpose of receiving and following Christ is not that we may go to live forever in the spirit Paradise. The purpose of accepting Christ is to reconcile us to God so we may be saved to God's new world of righteousness, to the Kingdom of God. |
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Jesus is the Way to the Father, not the way to Heaven. |
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I had a student argue with me one time. He said, "The Bible says Jesus is the way to Heaven." You judge. |
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One might exclaim, "But there is no difference!" |
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No difference between desiring to go to the Father and desiring to go to Heaven? Indeed, there is a very great difference between desiring to go to the Father and desiring to go to Paradise! |
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Multitudes of believers reveal by their actions that they care little for the Father or for His Christ. They may protest that this is not so but their lives show there are any number of things and persons more important to them than being in the Presence of God, than living in fellowship with God. |
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They cling to the belief that God will bring them to Heaven when they die. Do they desire to go to Heaven in order to be with God? Not at all! They desire to go to Heaven because they fear Hell and because they think they want to enter Paradise. However, they would not be content in the Paradise of God. |
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They do not enjoy holiness, righteousness, and obedience to God now. They do not enjoy praying or worshiping God now. Why would they enjoy such a life in the spirit realm? They would not enjoy Paradise. What they would enjoy is to continue in the sinful pleasures of the world without punishment. This is why they flock to the current preaching of "grace." They actually have no love for God or His Christ! |
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The Christian ministry talks much about Heaven and Hell as though Jesus came to save sinners from Hell so they could go to Heaven. This is not scriptural. The Lord Jesus referred to Hell, to the fire of Gehenna, and to outer darkness; but never to Heaven as the escape from these places. The Apostles of the Lamb had little to say about Hell or Heaven. |
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The Lord Jesus did not come to save sinners from Hell. Sinners belong in Hell. Jesus came to save sinners from sin so they no longer belong in Hell. When we are delivered from sinful behavior we do not belong in Hell but are fit for the Presence of God. |
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Do you really want to be with God and the saints? Are you sure you want to live in a place where there is no sin? Do you enjoy praising God in church? (from Deliverance from Sin) |
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I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalms 34:4) |
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Life is filled with fears and dreads of all kinds. The Book of Psalms is especially helpful to us because it contains many passages that deal with enemies, slander, treachery, danger and so forth and then encourages us to turn to God for assistance. |
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People in leadership roles often have many enemies who slander them and seek to harm them. |
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This was true of the Lord Jesus, wasn't it? |
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Our concerns often come in the form of sickness, accident, financial problems, or dangerous and hurtful situations concerning our loved ones. |
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When we fear we are to seek the Lord. This is what King David did. He did not trust in his sword and bow, as we know from many of the Psalms. David trusted in the Lord and called on the Lord in his time of need. |
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Sometimes our fears and dreads mount until we panic. Have you ever had that happen? We become so frightened we are unable to pray. We don't want to go to bed at night because we are afraid of our thoughts and dreams. We don't want to get up in the morning because we are afraid we will hear that bad news we have been dreading. |
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People today watch the television to relieve their anxieties. But television solves nothing. We only postpone the problem. There we sit watching foolish, lustful, or violent scenes. Gnawing at the back of our mind is the thing we fear. |
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Take hold of yourself and what faith you have and pray. Ask God to help you. |
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When you do this, you may become so frightened at what you are facing you get back up on your feet. |
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Stay there in prayer! Stay there in prayer! Don't move until you touch God. |
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The prayer of relinquishment helps. Tell God that if the evil does happen you know He will work it for good. |
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Much of our problem with fear occurs because there is something we dread so terribly we can't face it. We stuff it. But it's there. We can't face it and yet its little head keeps popping up. |
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Face your dread in prayer. Tell the Lord you want His will above all and that you know He loves you and will take care of you if the worst happens. |
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Let go and let God! |
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If you keep before the Lord you finally will break through into His Presence. The load of oppression will lift. The fear will leave. |
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"I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears." It's the fear that is the problem and it's the fear that the Lord removes. |
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When the fear leaves you will be able to face your predicament rationally and calmly. The Lord will guide you if you keep lifting up your soul to Him. |
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It has worked for me. Maybe it will help you. |
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Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (Psalms 37:4) |
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I was speaking to a member of our church who is proficient in mime. I commented that the young people who were learning mime were much better able to express anger and disgust than triumphant joy. |
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She agreed that anger and disgust are easier to portray. She went on to say the reason may be that in our experience of living we are more apt to experience dismaying situations than those that keep us in a state of ecstasy. |
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As I thought about this the experience of Queen Esther came to mind. Six months of the bitter and also six months of the sweet were necessary to prepare her for the king. |
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Maybe life on earth is the bitter and life in the spirit Paradise is the sweet—both being necessary for our acceptance in the palace of the greatest of kings. |
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In any case, to follow the Lord Jesus faithfully we must learn to hold steady during seasons when our joy and hope are deferred. In order to make a paradise of the present world we have to break God's laws. |
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The Bible tells us deferred hope makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes it is a tree of life—and no sorrow is added with it. |
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Will we wait patiently for the Lord or will we grab what we want regardless of whom we hurt? |
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There is no question that the lot of the saints throughout history has been one of patient suffering. Patience in suffering produces a perfect work. |
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The cross and the crown go together. |
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The recent teaching that Christians are not to suffer reveals the depths of apostasy to which we have fallen. |
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The Lord puts us in prison. We either remain as cheerfully as we can in our depressing circumstances or we bolt. I guess a lot depends on our view of God. Could it possibly be of God that we are denied what we so fervently desire? |
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Human sympathy cries, "Never!" The Bible says, "This is the way. Walk ye in it." |
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True Christianity is a hope for the future. The Bible promises fullness of joy, pleasures forever. But to receive the fulfillments we must wait patiently for the Lord. |
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If you are to get what you want when you want it you will have to betray those who trust in you. Which is it going to be for you? Will you keep on plodding along faithfully, carrying your cross, denying yourself that Christ may be served, trusting that the Master will reward you in this life or the next? Or will you manipulate people and circumstances until you have your way? |
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A lot of the latter is going on, unfortunately. Woe unto you if you stand in the way of such "Christians!" |
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But the true people of God will yet emerge in America, I believe. The synagogue of Satan will yet worship God at the feet of the saints. |
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And how will you feel when, after hanging on the cross of deferred hope, your God brings you into the Palace, ready for your six months of the sweet? |
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A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. (Psalms 91:7) |
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I think the 34th, 37th, and 91st Psalms were written for our help during the great tribulation. If you die or are "raptured" before the great tribulation they will help you in any case. |
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Now, it is hard to picture a situation in which eleven thousand people fall all around you but you remain untouched. Also, plagues will keep away from where you are living. And you won't be afraid in the middle of the night, which will be a big help. |
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Bible promises often are conditional and the protection offered here is no exception. The safety is provided for him or her who dwells in the secret place, or shelter, of God. |
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Sounds kind of like abiding in Christ. The dead "in Christ" shall rise. |
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What does it mean to dwell in God? It means to look to the Lord for every detail of life. God is first in our thoughts. It is the thought life that is the problem and it is the thought life that Satan attacks. |
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We are transformed by the renewing of our mind. |
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Ours is a day of communication, of hi-tech media. Never before in the history of man has so much information been transmitted. And it is increasing daily. |
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The Internet makes possible the transmission of God's thoughts to wherever people breathe the air. The same is true of Satan's pornography. |
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If we are to abide in Christ, in the secret place of the most high God, we are going to have to guard our mind all the day long. |
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We must pray without ceasing that we will have the mind of Christ. |
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O God, keep us! Keep us! Keep us in your Presence at all times. Deliver us from the evil one. Lift us above the filth of the cesspool in which we are trying to keep God's commandments. |
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God's protection can be very selective. We see Nebuzaradan clanking up to Jeremiah while Jerusalem is in flames and everybody is being carried off to Babylon. "Hi, Jerry. Long time no see. The big Boss says to take care of you. Here's a present for you. You come with me and we'll put you up in the best hotel in Babylon. Or you can stay here. Whatever you like." |
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(Maybe Jeremiah should have gone to Babylon, considering how he was treated by the Israelites after this!) |
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God is well able to take perfect care of you and your family during the great tribulation, in the very teeth of Antichrist, or in any other circumstance. But only if you are abiding in Christ. |
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Quit worrying about the great tribulation. Worry about pleasing the Lord. If you're like most American families you're already in the great tribulation. You know what I mean? |
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In case the rapture doesn't come off on time you probably can find some use for what I just wrote. |
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It can't hurt and it might help! |
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