0699 No regrets

Worship Call 699

Monday August 1, 2022

No regrets when walking in the Lord

Robert, the gates of Hades shall not prevail! Matthew 16:17-19 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Caesarea Phillipi, where Yeshua (Jesus) revealed himself as Messiah to His disciples, was home to the Temple of Pan, a place so demonic that many of the rituals performed there are too horrible to mention in a daily devotion. The city sits at the foot of Mount Hermon, which was known as the ‘Rock of the Gods’, referring to the many shrines built against it. At the foot of Mount Hermon sat the temple of Pan, the ruins of which can still be seen there. In the rear of the temple was a cave with a deep pool (which also remains there) from which spring water flowed. Ancient Pagans believed that the water symbolized the abyss, and that the cave was a door to the underworld. The cave at the rear of the temple was considered the ‘Gate of Hades’ because it was believed that Baal would enter and leave the underworld through it. God only knows what kind of spiritual activity passed through this realm of darkness. It was here, in the most demonic place in Israel, that Yeshua chose to reveal, through Peter's spirit inspired proclamation, that He was Messiah, the Son of God. And it was in this place of repugnant darkness and spiritual degeneracy that the Lord announced His intention to build His "Church" (or "congregation"). And it was in this " Hell hole" that He gave us the assurance, "The Gates of Hell will NOT prevail against it." Robert, we are planted where evil dwells, to proclaim and represent the Lord of Light. And we seem to be witnessing an advance of evil in this world that is unprecedented, and is becoming a "flood" reminiscent of the "Days of Noah". How precious and vital are the Lord's words, "The Gates of Hell will NOT prevail..." Believing those words, we will stand, every day, and we will overcome the power of Satan, by faith, especially as we continue to pray as He taught us, "Deliver us from evil." Not in our own strength or power – but in the power of God given to all His children through His Son! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah Knoxville, Tennessee

And it is another fine day in the Lord

Matthew 5:9 (NASB95) — 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Peacemakers are those who partners with Christ in the divine plan to move the world out from under the realm of darkness into the realm of light. It is the peacemaker who has first fought and conquered through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit the darkness in one’s own heart and then shares that light with the world.

but as it were in the time of Jesus it is now that people hate the light for their evil deeds are not just exposed but declared unrighteous and damnable.

Satan knows that with each soul that responds to the light correctly and a soul is saved Satan loses hold of this earth. as that one reaches spirtual maturity where his life is maximized for the glory of God and then shares the peace with others satan looses more of a grip. and when the body complete Satan’s time is becomes very near.

Yes it is no surprise that the peacemaker will be under fire.

Matthew 5:11 (NASB95) — 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

at every turn there will one attack after another in order to discredit the Christian. So hated and so despised why would anyone want to join their ranks?

And why might that be? could it be that the righteousness that you reflect within your own person is offensive to those of the world.

What if the world don’t hate you? What if you are a friend to every one you meet and to the world? could there are also be something to worry about?

John 15:19–21 (NASB95) — 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.

If the world Loves you and you have a bunch of adoring fans in the time of great hostility against the Lord and the Lord’s elect, you might want to ask why am I found in such a favor.

Happy yes, for there is the morn that is on its way and the place just over the hill where we call home. There is a crown prepared for the persecuted and it is they who will rule.

As Christ went through the gauntlet of persecution and remained quiet throughout the ordeal up until the final hour then we Christ followers who have put on Christ, who picked up our crosses and follow the way, for the Joy that is set before us we are united in Christ through His suffering.

2 Timothy 2:11–12 (NASB95) — 11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him;

Revelation 20:4–6 (NASB95) — 4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

These who were beheaded were the peacemakers, they are the ones called the sons of God. They are the one’s with rulership positions. They had coming into the new life spent their lives drawing near to God. They kept the word of the Lord. Their faiths were built and tried and tested. Maturing in the faith with every test they honed the skills of the spiritual life and with each passing test they became more Christ like until the ultimate test comes where one picks up his or her own cross and gladly steps up to give his life as Christ had asked for it.

Matthew 5:12 (NASB95) — 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

25.125 χαίρω: to enjoy a state of happiness and well-being—‘to rejoice, to be glad.’[1]

Colossians 1:24 (NASB95) — 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

Yes, Christian’s are an unusual lot in a number of different ways and that is what makes them set apart from the world.

IN the world it is man who is happy and rejoices under favorable circumstances. As he treats temporal conditions and material as if it were eternal. The Christian is happy and rejoices under the strain of suffering for he knows his reward is not temporal, but eternal.

2 Chronicles 36:15 (NASB95) — 15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place;

Acts 7:52 (NASB95) — 52 “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

Hebrews 11:33–40 (NASB95) — 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

James 5:10 (NASB95) — 10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Romans 8:18–25 (NASB95) — 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

The Cross is the final exam. It awaits ahead. Time gives each believer an opportunity to grow. To take in Gods word and to be matured by it. to be tested in it.

Making every opportunity for our faith to be strengthened.

We must right now resolve to advance in our Christian life. we must today make most of the advantages given to us from above. For when the final exam comes it will be a closed book test and it will be only the doctrine within your heart that will carry you through. If it is today is your day to pick up the cross is there enough in your heart that you can confidently pick it up and take it to the hill that you are about to die on?

How you train in peace time will determine how you will perform in war time.

I had made bad decisions in my life and it has cost me. Bad decisions that closed doors for me and my family that could have been opened. There were things and education that I did not seriously that set me back. I squandered away time that I will never get back. Do I have regret? Sure, I do. Do I think on the shoulda coulda and woulda’s of my life and the missed opportunities that would have put me in a better place now? Of course.

Not to say I’m miserable where I am in my life. Paul says

Philippians 3:13–14 (NASB95) — 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Things that I did and failed to do with regard to this life, my secular life from cradle to grave may have left me with some lasting disadvantages. And after all said and done I will share the grave with winners and losers alike.

But the things that I resolve to do and the decisions I make every day from this day forward taking advantage of those spiritual assets that is part of the spiritual life, leads to me to make the right decisions that will impact not only this life but on into eternity.

How I handle suffering and my ability to pick up my cross and face a hostile crowd tomorrow will depend up my decisions today in regard to the word of God that take in. How I apply what I have learned. How I bring the word into my walk. How much time that I spend on my knees before my Lord. we make decisions every day, how many decisions do we concern ourselves with the Lord.

To be hated by the world on the account of Christ means that we over the course of time have become the very image of Christ which the world hates. They hated the Christ they hate any image of Christ. If the world hate you on account of Christ it means that they see the Christ in you. And that as unusual as it may seem to those of the world we wear as a badge of honor.

The world and its globalist agenda is worsening. Not time since the Tower of Babel has the world grown so united. Many are hailing it as awesome, but the fact is to those that make their stand with Christ leaves no comfort to be found in this world.

As the pressure mounts are you looking at the world with the perspective of doom and gloom, or are you rejoicing in the fact that the Lord has great and wonderful plans for those who stand firm through the challenge.

[1]Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 302). United Bible Societies.