MIRROR OF DECEPTION (Sneak Peek)

Are You Ready For Eternity?

(Sneak Peek)

CHAPTER ONE: BORN AGAIN

The return of Christ is imminent. The question is, are we ready? Jesus spoke of the many who will come to Him on that day, thinking they are entering heaven because of the religious works they did; note the keyword, religious. But He calls them evildoers and says, "Depart from me. I never knew you." These people have been deceived. Perhaps they have religion, but religion is nothing more than any other worldly pursuit if done apart from a relationship with the Lord; hence, out of the love for God and man. Maybe they do practical good works that help people but have prideful or self-centered motives. Or perhaps they struggle with being approval addicts and get their self-worth from the accolades of men. God alone knows the hearts of everyone, and He will judge us all with His truth when we appear before Him (Psalm 96:13). If we do not make heart-work of our religion, we make nothing of it.[1] The point I am trying to make, and the burden I carry to write this book, is that the people spoken of in the abovementioned Scripture believe they are saved and are not. Our world has never been filled with so many distractions and lies as it is today, and we need to be ready for Christ's return now more than ever before. The thing about deception is that we don't know when we are misled and believing lies. That said, I don't think any of us are beyond self-reflection to be sure we're not looking into a mirror of deception - because the consequences of being wrong will never end. And even if you are 100 percent confident of your place in heaven, there is always room for spiritual growth, so this book will not be a waste your time.

I'm sure you've heard the term, 'born again.' But do you know what that really means? The answer to this question is important because, according to the Bible, we cannot see or enter the Kingdom of God unless we are born again (John 3:3-5). The Greek word translated again can also be rendered "from above."[2] So, our initial carnal birth takes place in the environment we can physically see. Then, beginning from a very young age, we all learn from the world and culture around us, each contending with our sinful nature no matter where or who we are. On the other hand, our spiritual birth is in the unseen realm when we are born 'again' in Spirit. This transformation is marked by drastic changes in our hearts, minds, and thoughts and continues to change if we seek to know the Father of our new birth in Christ. Jesus differentiates our 'births' in John 6:6, "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit." Please note that I am not writing about our salvation, for there are no good works we can do for a gift like this. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your doing; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). From this point, though, what we 'feed' on determines if we grow into spiritual maturity and keep our faith. Just like we learned from the 'world' and culture from a young age, being born again allows us to learn from a different perspective. We didn't have a choice when we were born in the flesh as to what we were surrounded by, but make no excuses; we have a choice now. Our position when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior becomes one set apart by God, having been called out of the world and placed in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12).[3] Take your time reading the next few sentences; meticulously as if chewing a mouthful of food twenty times instead of five before swallowing it. God loves us so much that He gave His only Son to take the blame for our sins so that we might escape eternity in a literal place called hell. Jesus became sin, all of it! Jesus took on himself all the condemnation and shame so that we do not have to carry it. Yours, mine, and anyone else who comes humbly to Him and admits they need Him for salvation: forgiveness of sin, grace in repentance, and restoration to God through the belief of His sacrifice on the cross.

Jesus willingly entered suffering when He took on the sins of the world, separating Himself from the Father because God does not dwell in sin. Those torturous blows He took for us are unimaginable, all so that we don't have to remain separated from God. He went to hell for us and returned with the keys to eternal life in heaven! Because of this love for us, we can come boldly to the throne of grace wearing Jesus's robe of righteousness. God can dwell with us because of the filter of Jesus surrounding us IF we are born again. Let that sink in from head knowledge to heart belief, and even if you already believe it, there is no such thing as one and done when it comes to meditating on the extent of God's love for us. Thinking consistently and intensely about these things is how our faith grows: prayerfully meditating on the truth of His Word until it becomes a deep-rooted belief system from which we go about our daily lives. Some people get lost before they even get started, though. ONLY if we continue our efforts to know Him does the renewing of our minds transform us, and the seeds of His Word get planted in the good soil of our hearts. I believe it's when this happens that we are born-again children of God. Jesus is more than willing to accept our confession of faith, forgive, and wash our sins upon our salvation encounter; however, maturing in Christ and becoming a child of God is at least partially up to us. We've all heard or even used the term "grow up." Well, it's time for the church to grow up. His return is drawing near, and He warns us about what we will be dealing with and are already experiencing. In Matthew 24, Jesus tells us that in the last days, 'many' will be offended, and there will be betrayals, hatred, deception, and lawlessness. Then He says, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved (Matt. 24:12-13, emphasis mine). The Greek word 'endures' means to stay under and remain. Remain where? In love, that is still operating out of His love: loving God and compassionately loving others. Jesus remained in His love for us, for the thief next to him on the cross, and even for those who killed Him. No matter the circumstances, He never stopped showing love to all, even His enemies.[4] The word endures also means to suffer patiently, and Jesus did just that. How do we rank with loving others who harm or persecute us, blessing those who curse us, and praying for our enemies? If we are not there yet, we better get ready because circumstances will worsen, and we will have plenty of opportunity for our hearts to 'wax cold.' The Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines endure as "to last, to continue in the same state without perishing."[5] When we began our Christian Walk, we must remember that we were living in 'the world' subject to all sorts of miseries, accidents, and poor dispositions from within.[6] Continued cleansing and humbling transformation is a process; there is no shortcut. This world places so much emphasis on status, accomplishments, and outward appearances that we can be easily fooled into thinking, 'We're good' when we can actually be prideful, deceived, indifferent, self-centered, self-motivated, and just plain selfish. I like the Amplified version of Proverbs 16:2, which reads, "All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions], But the Lord weighs the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth]. From the onset of our Christian walk, we should remember who we are and that we are unworthy of the name of Christian, except for what Christ has done for us.[7] We must be careful and consider how much we rely on ourselves and others for everything. Some modern-day Christians even count solely on others for their knowledge about God. We can never know the Lord simply by hearing what preachers or teachers have to say, but instead, by prayerfully seeking Him in the LIVING Word of God for ourselves. This kind of pursuit is how we come to know and hear God.

On the same day that Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to two disciples traveling to a village called Emmaus, and they didn't even know Him yet either. The Bible tells us, So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him (Luke 24:15-16). When Jesus inquired about their discussion, the men told Him about the events from their 'worldly view' or their own understanding. Finally, Jesus said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter His glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets (old testament), He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Luke 24:25-27, emphasis mine). Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew Him, and He vanished from their sight (vs. 30-31). I could rest my case on this passage of Scriptures alone, saying that we need to know what our Bibles say to know Him. Surely, no one but Christ and no word but His Word can have such an influence upon us. He has the key to our hearts, and He speaks to us today in the Scriptures.[8] So, if you attend church but do not seek out the Scriptures, I'm telling you, because I don't want to see anyone perish, it doesn't mean you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He wants us to seek Him in His Word because that's where we get more knowledge and grace in the transformation process. He desperately wants us to commune with us. So much so that, in cleansing us from all our impurities, God desires to humble us and often allows us to go through a number of trials or difficulties to that end.[9] However, He is ever so patient with us while we are getting there, and probably for most, if not all, it's taken us years and years, and we still have a ways to go. We bring our deepest, darkest secrets, hurts, and soul wounds to Him for healing. We can be so raw and real with Him because He knows everything about us and loves us regardless.

To continue growing in Christ, we must deny our worldly, selfish nature in exchange for God's ways. Salvation is a gift we obtain through faith alone, and it makes becoming born again possible. However, nothing changes if we stop there because, up to this point, we have learned from the world and operated out of our flesh. When we genuinely ask for and receive Jesus and the Holy Spirit into our hearts, we receive a new grace to want to change (repent), read our Bibles, and do things for others. Still, if we do not act on this and remain in Him, we become easy prey for the enemy to steal the seed of His Word that gives us new life. Jesus said in John 6:63 that the flesh (our ways) profits nothing, but His Words are full of the Spirit and life. We began in God's Spirit, and that's how we persevere. We must continuously walk in God's Spirit, since in the spirit life, not to advance is to fall back.[10] There is a reason why staying in the Word and prayer is so important. The Word of God is the eternal seed. So I ask, how much eternity is in you?

I mentioned that the enemy wants to steal the Word that drew you in. Matthew chapter 13 tells us that the enemy actually can steal the Word from us unless we have a strong foundation; hence, the Word is 'planted in good soil.' In the parable of the Sower explained, we learn that:

19 When anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the ord, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the Word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

I highlighted "understand" in this Scripture because it drew me in for a deeper meaning. Understanding is to be thoroughly familiar with and clearly apprehend the character and nature to grasp the significance, implications, or importance of something. This definition makes me wonder about those who simply mouth the "salvation prayer" without a clear understanding: the Holy Spirit's stirring of the heart, desire to repent, and heartfelt belief. If that's all it takes is to mouth those words, then I don't think Jesus would have told us that 'many' who think they are saved will be turned away and not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. If you study the word 'many' in Greek, it means most! Reading this passage of Scripture should make us all pause in reverence.

Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23, emphasis mine).I don't know about you, but I want to be sure that I am in the will of the Father and not counted under this category of practicing lawlessness. Let's take a closer look at and study what lawlessness means. According to the Strongs dictionary, lawlessness is a definition of sin that sets forth its essential character as the rejection of the law, or will of God, and the substitution of the will of self.[11] Lawlessness is also known as iniquity. It denotes unrighteousness, a condition of not being right, whether with God, according to the standard of His holiness and righteousness, or with man, according to the standard of what man knows to be right by his conscience.[12] Yes, you read that correctly. It says, "or with man." In fact, "The Lord so closely identifies Himself with His people that to curse His people is to curse Him and to reject them is to reject Him."[13] I believe there is a clue as to what constitutes the most damaging infarction and qualifier of what is considered lawlessness: the reason many who think they are going to heaven are told to depart from Him. Selah. Since I have never used the word, infarction, in my life, and I didn't even know what it meant, but it flowed as I typed the previous sentence, I stopped to look it up, and I immediately found this:

1) A condition in which the blood supply to an area is blocked, and the tissue dies.[14]

2) Injury or death of tissue (as of the heart or lungs).[15]

The first thing I thought of when I saw this was the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins upon salvation. What this says to me is we can cause a spiritual infarction or blockage to the blood of Jesus, even unto the spiritual death of our hearts and, thus, souls, when we choose resentment and pride instead of loving people, even enemies, as Jesus did. LOVE is the key. Upon further inquiry, I found that an infarction is or can lead to a heart attack. Again, the information about a heart attack can metaphorically speak to the spiritual state or deception of our hearts as well. "A heart attack can be severe enough to cause death, or it can be "silent" and go undetected. In fact, up to one in five people may have no symptoms at all, and the heart attack may only be discoverable later…"[16] Can you imagine being one of the people who think they are going to Heaven and Jesus tells you to depart from Him? Dear Holy Spirit, please help us discover anything unholy and hidden in our hearts that we are unaware of in the name of Jesus!

Back to the discussion of "law-less-ness" and tying this 'infarction concept' into a discussion about love. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment of the law is, He said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang the law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:37-40). So, the law is the Scriptures or any single command in the Scriptures, and the Prophets speak inspired utterances, the writings of the OT prophets.[17] I think it's safe to say that if Jesus said the greatest commandments of the law were to love God and others, then the absence of love would be law-less-ness.

When Peter was describing Christ's example, he said, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). To love the Lord with all we've got, we have to learn about and get to know Him and HIS LOVE, and the Bible is Him! Godly (agape) love differs from the love of the world. That word, 'many,' which we had already looked at earlier, is also found in Matthew 24, where Jesus is teaching us the sign(s) of His coming and the end of the world. In verse 10, He says, "Many will be offended, betray one another, and hate one another." And then, in verse 12, He says, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold." The Amplified Version of this passage reads, "Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold." Remember, iniquity also means lawlessness, and many means most. I believe this will be our biggest problem; the love of 'many' will wax cold, which hardens one's heart. And where there is hardness of heart, there is unbelief. And there's no understanding of the Word where there's a hard heart. The Bible tells us in Mark 6:52 that even the disciples who were physically with Jesus "…had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened." Then, a little later in Mark chapter eight, the disciples were reasoning amongst themselves, and Jesus addressed their hardened hearts again. "But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears do you not remember (Mark 8:17-18)?" The Greek meaning of the word hardened in this Scripture means to petrify, form a callous, make hard. The word is used metaphorically of spiritual deafness and blindness. Hearers of the gospel who repeatedly resist its convicting truth become insensitive and dull and lose the power of understanding.[18] This is often where the enemy has no trouble interjecting deception. If the disciples who were physically with Jesus still had a hard heart, it's possible for us, too. You don't think this is you? When was the last time someone offended you? Did you become hurt or angry and respond out of feelings and emotions? How often does this happen? How about betrayal? Do you know one of the definitions of betrayal is giving up? When was the last time you gave up on someone or said, "I’m done with them,” even though you'd have been a goner long ago if not for God’s mercy and love through other imperfect people? Please note I am not talking about continuing to let an abuser use you or continuing to hang out with people who have led you down wrong paths in the past. We need to set boundaries for people who purposefully or otherwise hurt us. But God tells us exactly what to do. We are to pray for them and forgive them. He has blueprints for us; our job is not to question them but to eagerly obey them. Like the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:12, “Therefore my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Jesus' instructions for our enemies are clear in His Sermon on the Mount. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven; for He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45). What if, by your loving reaction to someone who wrongs you, they ultimately get saved? If we love others even when they don’t deserve it with God's same love for us, being concerned for their souls, this is how we love our neighbor as ourselves. Anything less than this is hate. Whether we want to call it that or not, hate exists if we carry any resentment or unforgiveness in our hearts. We cannot say we love God but hate His people. “We love God because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates his brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister (1 John 4:19-21).

If you struggle with this, you don’t have to. You can evict the spirit of resentment from your house at any time! If you know and believe the Word but aren’t opening your mouth and using the authority God gave you, you’ll be an easy target for the enemy. Especially if you are tempted to talk about people, places, or things that frustrate or make you angry. Remember, lawlessness (lovelessness) is the same thing as iniquity, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell (James 3:6). The only reaction Jesus gave the enemy when tempted in the wilderness was to speak out loud, “It is written…” He believed the Word of God to be the best weapon, and it was! The enemy left him. It’s also important to note that He was fasting, and when He came out of His time of testing, He carried the faith and power of almighty God for deliverance and healing of all kinds. BELIEVE the Lord will do it FOR you, and He will! If you want to know and experience more of His love, please begin studying Scriptures related to love and meditate on them throughout your day. Sit and think about nothing else except how much God loves YOU. Every day when you have alone time with God, imagine His loving arms around you or His outstretched hands for you to come to Him. We can better receive and give that same love away from this place. The rest of the Scriptures in 1 John, chapter 4, is a great place to study deeper meanings about love. You can google commentaries, which are readily available on many Bible apps. It tells us this is how we know His love is complete in us if we love one another. According to God, this is going to be the biggest trap of the enemy in the last days: love that grows cold because of how the evil and deception in this world are more prevalent and more ‘acceptable’ than at any other time in history. We do not have to be in the category of ‘the many,’ though. I testify of this to you: if you genuinely ASK Him to help you love with His love and see from His perspective with heavenly wisdom every time you are tempted to be offended, hurt, or angry, He will do it. My favorite prayer in the Bible is from Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21:

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father [f]of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

We cannot love our enemies in our effort or flesh. But God is able and wants to help us know the love of Christ, which passes our knowledge, to have His fullness in our hearts. If we ask Him for His help every time, continue ‘washing’ in the Word of God, communicate with Him through prayer, and use our mouths to speak life despite how we feel, He will help us all endure to the end and be ready for Christ’s return. The key is our faith and focus in Him, believing He will help us. When we trust in the Lord with all our hearts, do not lean on our own understanding, and in all our ways acknowledge Him, He will direct our paths (Psalm 3:5-6).

Remember, showing kindness and love to people who don’t deserve it can be difficult because it’s so opposite to our natural tendencies, but with God, all things are possible if we believe He can and will help us.

Several years ago, when serving as a House Manager for a faith-based rehab, a woman bound by anger and resentment absolutely hated me and made sure I knew it. I was aware that the enemy had deceived her in so many ways and that his entrance to her heart came by deep-seated anger and resentment, so I tried not to take it personally, but God used her to heal some of my own soul wounds and challenge me to love my neighbor as myself. Despite it being far from the truth, she genuinely believed what she thought and said. Still, some of the things were such hateful and mean lies that they even triggered me into remembering previous experiences of being verbally and emotionally abused. Those of you who know what I’m talking about know that while you are a grown individual, you can still shrink down into a little girl (or boy) on the inside when an abuser is yelling at and belittling you. So, I took this to the Lord and repeatedly handed it to Him, asking and trusting Him to do more profound healing work in both of us. The Scripture that the Holy Spirit showed me concerning her was my ‘go-to’ verse for over a year, and it’s not one I would have chosen. But God knows what He is doing and the truths we need when we need them to keep us from entering into sin. Here is the passage of Scripture, and I pray it helps you endure people who don’t deserve your love as it helped me:

For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps (1 Peter 2:19-21).

It took me some time to meditate on this one! I remember thinking, “To this, I am called?” Are you kidding me, God?” I really had to press into the Lord and pray almost continuously to remain obedient because we lived in the same house, and the encounters were frequent. I knew He was stretching me like never before, so I patiently endured until it was time for her to move on. I praise the Lord today for her because she is doing well, and God used her to help me grow and heal some more. I also do not doubt that the Lord answered prayers over her and continued to work on her wounds and deceptions from the enemy. Through clinging to His Word and obeying it, I was able to gain a ‘thicker skin’ and not shrink down inside anymore whenever similar people come across my path and seem to want to use me as their scapegoat for their issues. God healed me and gave me more grace by simply obeying His instructions. But Had I not been seeking Him in His Word daily, I would not have experienced this new freedom. I am grateful today for the hard time back then because she and the Lord helped me grow, even though I was not too fond of the lesson plan, and it didn’t feel good. Change for the good within our hearts will occur, but only if we seek God and ask Him to teach us what we are to learn and do in these situations instead of operating out of the flesh. My Teacher knew I needed to develop profound compassion for what was ahead of me.

Another time, I remember just sobbing and crying out the Psalms for being treated so poorly when all I ever did was help and serve per His instructions, and I heard the Holy Spirit within say, “Worse than this is ahead of you, Peggy.” That may seem like something that would certainly not help in a situation when I was bawling and deeply hurt, but it did. I remember standing up a little straighter and wiping the tears because, for some reason, the mountain I was currently facing became this tiny little thing that I’d gotten so upset about. I was reminded that it had nothing to do with me but rather broken, hurting people, that hurt people. They cannot give us what they don’t have, so learning this seemingly simple truth allowed me not to expect so much from people who are not healed from their painful experiences or are not mature in the Lord yet. I know that season was necessary to do what I do today without taking insults personally. My primary job is to guide folks to the Word and truth in love as much as possible so they can genuinely KNOW Him before it’s too late, and this involves pointing out truths to people they don’t like to hear. But guess what? Nobody likes hearing hard truths, but we can certainly come to appreciate them through our trusted circle of family in Christ if we are open-minded enough to realize we are not always right. The Bible taught me that the blood is on my hands if I do not warn (see Ezekiel 3), so I had to become prepared to face being spoken to and about negatively. So, I cannot and will not nurse hurt feelings when they come anymore because it’s not about hurt feelings; it’s about spiritual life and death and the salvation of souls.

Some people think, 'Once saved, always saved,' and others believe we can lose our salvation. I regarded the former as accurate until I read more of my Bible. I am not claiming to be an expert on this subject one way or another; I only wish to point out being personally challenged by some verses that made me question what I once believed. For instance, a king in Israel named Asa once started strong in the Lord and did many great things, like removing all the abominable idols from the land, restoring the altar of the Lord, and trusting God to help him in battles. He even cut down the image his mother made and released her from being the 'queen mother.' But later in life, when faced with a battle, he sought another king to join forces by offering him silver and gold instead of relying upon God. What makes a man lean on his riches after clearly living in loyalty and obedience to God initially? How many others have followed down this same path? Those who desire to be rich may want to pause here and consider if being rich in this life is worth spending eternity in hell because we’ve all heard stories about people who became wealthy, and then their lives turned out terrible. If you feel like you have less than others and long for more, God may be saving you from a situation like this, or He might be preparing your character to receive worldly riches that won’t destroy your soul. Being rich in spirit will satisfy all longings and fill every void you ever had, so there’s a reason the Bible tells us to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first (Math. 6:33). Back to the story, though. A man described in the Bible as a seer tried to warn Asa, but rather than repent and turn back to God, Asa became angry and resentful instead of heeding the warning. The Scripture reads, "And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand" (2 Chronicles 16:7). Hanani then reminded Asa of when he did rely on the Lord, and He delivered a massive army into his hands, and stated, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). From these passages, we can see that having a loyal heart to God means that we trust in Him for our help, not man. We do not need to place hope in what another person can do for us. If we fail to include Him, God will let us do things our way; however, there are consequences. May we capture any thoughts about relying on ourselves and others when they arise in our hearts, cast them down,  and immediately replace them with this truth: "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man" (Psalm 118:8). God does use people to help us, and had Asa consulted the Lord, and God wanted him to join forces with the king of Syria, this story may have turned out differently. But the point here is that he no longer relied upon God. Also, remember, when we do receive favor and help from others, God knows if we recognize that our help ultimately comes from Him, so acknowledge Him in everything because “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

In Asa's case, when he turned away from God and trusted in man (when he came into unbelief), it was likely caused by looking to idols, what his wealth could purchase rather than the Lord. This fact, coupled with a hardened heart, probably due to pride and resentment, caused him to oppress people around him and sever his relationship with the Lord. Even in his illness, he did not consult God, but rather ‘physicians,’ who were not likely as we know them today but 'authorized' to practice medicine as a sorcerer operating with curses and magic. To his shame, Asa is remembered as one who did not seek the Lord.[19] This story tells me that we can be in good standing with God and then blow it if we don’t continue with Him, keeping a humble heart to admit and repent when we are wrong and challenged by another believer. Remember that the enemy can target something good in our lives to distract us. If we’re not careful to keep God first, we can open the door for demonic spirits to lure our thoughts and affections onto whatever shiny object or relationship takes up residence in our hearts. That quickly becomes a snare of idolatry, and we spiral from there.

We also see a warning to 'the called' in the Book of Jude. The author states, "But I want to remind you that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe" (Jude 1:5). Has anyone ever told you that God called you, or do you know for a fact that God called you? That's awesome; however, remember the Bible says, "…many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). Prayerfully, what I've written so far has either planted or strengthened a healthy reverence and respect for God. I’m not talking about a constant state of anxiety but rather a serious quest to know and obey God more, to the effect that “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16).

In the book of Ecclesiastes, the writer searches for some kind of fixed, unchanging value that can be found in this life.[20] After considering all things ‘under the sun,’ he states, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Also, God will judge us based on His truth, not ours, so it’s good to know as much of His truth (our Bible) as possible while there’s still time. May He give us all the hunger, desire, and anointing to share His truth with others, too. “For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth, He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth” (Psalm 96:13, emphasis mine).

Prayer Pause: Heavenly Father, please send Your Spirit to any of our friends or loved ones who don’t know You yet. Draw them away from worldly things and back to You; in the name of Jesus, we pray.

Even though we won’t know if loved ones don’t make it to heaven because they’ll be removed from our remembrance, we can do something now to help lead people to seek a relationship with God through Christ Jesus. Psalm 34:16 says, “The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” And the following passage in Revelation discusses getting blotted out from the Book of Life! Someone must be first written in the book before they can be blotted out, right?

"1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that you are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember, therefore, how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.   4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 3:1-6 NKJV, emphasis mine).

This passage talks about the Lord knowing a church's works and that they have a name of being alive but are dead. The people in this passage of Scripture are people in the church, not the ones who aren’t folks! He said to strengthen the things that remain. We CANNOT stay the same as we are today, so if what I am writing comes across as harsh to you, for the love of God, do not be offended and keep reading. Take heed and do something different than you did yesterday, last week, last year, or maybe even the previous decade(s) to ensure you are ready. The thought of anyone being tormented and burning in hell for eternity makes me want to do whatever I can to help ‘the many’ wake up and come alive in Christ!

When I looked up the Greek meaning of being alive, it means the resurrection life or alive again. This definition refers to our new life in Christ, or in other words, our born-again life. Hence, I am compelled to do my part to ensure myself and others in the body of Christ are born-again children of God. Have our perspectives about people, places, and things changed, or do we still view everything the same as we always have? Do we think of various Scriptures or Biblical truths as we respond or act on things throughout the day, or are we still operating off our own ‘auto-pilot’ belief system apart from the Word of God? Are we going through the motions but not necessarily believing in or experiencing the power that raised Jesus from the dead? We need to be mindful (mind full) of the things of God to be alive in the Spirit!

The experience of being 'born of the Spirit" describes the new birth in John 3:6, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit." The word flesh in Greek refers to our fallen human nature, which is frail and corrupt in contrast to immaterial (spiritual) things.[21] Because God, in essence, is Spirit, those who worship Him must do so spiritually, as directed and motivated by the Holy Spirit (see John 4:24).[22] Without new birth, we don't even think about, let alone want to worship God. There was a time when I refused to attend church service until worship was over because I didn't like ‘the music.’ I sensed some judgemental looks after a while, and since I desperately wanted to be liked and accepted and not "look bad," I started going on time, but I only went through the motions.

For this reason, I question whether I really was a born-again child of God in my early walk. I had a genuine salvation encounter at a revival several years prior and finally started doing all the religious things that I saw others doing, but it was a lie. I could not worship from my old nature because it was impossible. We worship idols and even ourselves in the flesh. But Jesus said there would come a time when people would worship God in Spirit and truth. May that time be NOW for all of us.

Prayer Pause:

Heavenly Father, I ask You to enlighten our understanding of what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross so we are deeply moved and our worship is pleasing to You. We don’t need another song, though Christian music is good. We need the full awareness of You and Your love so that our only response is to worship in a way that exuberates the love, joy, peace, and gratitude You’ve given us back to You. I ask You, Holy Spirit, to invade our hearts with a profound supernatural understanding of what You have given us in the name of Jesus.

When we receive Christ and believe in His name, the Bible says He gives us the right to become children of God (John 1:12). Verse 13 elaborates that children of God are born not of blood, the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life (John 6:63). If our nature hasn’t changed to align with God's Word and will, we continue operating from the same attitude and mindset we always have. And we ought not to be deceived into thinking we are operating out of God’s Spirit. The Apostle Paul also tells us in Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

We cannot have faith and partake of that which we know little about, and the Lord says in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge…” Notice He said, “My people,” not people outside the church. We can only experience the divine dimensions of a new nature by knowing God.

“As His divine power has given us exceedingly great and precious things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” 2 Peter 1:3-4).

Recall where Jesus said only the ones who do the will of the Father would enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He will tell everyone else to depart from Him. How can we know God's will if we do not know what His Word says? And how can we live in the divine dimension of life if we do not have and believe there is Bread of Life in us? I'm telling you, I walked around 'saved' for over a decade before my nature began to change. Why? Because I still carried the same belief systems I had learned from the world around me. No real change happened in my heart until I opened my Bible and began to unlock the transforming power that only comes through the Holy Spirit, consistent study, and obedience to God's Word. If we really want to be rightly related to Jesus, we have to be rightly related to the Bible, and we do not love God more than we love His Word.[23] 

I tell you my experience, but so you know, what I am saying is also Biblical; Psalm 119:9 says, "We become confident that we are born again and walking in the Spirit of God by taking heed according to the Word of God." Birth is the beginning of life; being born again is beginning to live anew. We must have a new nature, new principles, new affections, and new aims.[3] We can only find ourselves when we find Jesus, for He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). The Bible tells us that everyone who loves is born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7). There's a lot of flesh surrounding our hearts, but if we humbly look at ourselves, understanding the mirror could be deceiving us; I believe we can receive and give more love of the Father, and His "love will cover a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). The Bible gives us a true ‘mirror’ to look at for self-reflection. Anything else we use to gauge where we are at spiritually is counterfeit. Even the rules we set up for ourselves, such as reading so many chapters or hours per day or praying for a certain amount of time, can cause us to look at our own efforts instead of what Jesus did/does to transform us. Joyce Meyer wrote about this in the best way I’ve seen it described in her Biblical Study of Galatians:

…for a long time, I tried to pray for one hour and read six chapters of the Bible each day. I felt proud when I succeeded and guilty when I failed. That is what happens when we view spiritual activities as laws instead of privileges. I don’t watch the clock anymore. I simply pray and read until I feel full and satisfied in my spirit. This is similar to how I feel when I have had enough to eat at a meal. God’s Word and time with Him is our spiritual food. I don’t count how many minutes I eat dinner, and I don’t count how many minutes I pray or study the Bible.[24] 

Jesus is the lover of our soul, and He wants us to spend time with Him, not out of duty or because we feel like we have to, but because we want to. As we seek to know Him, we are given the gift of an amazing grace in wanting to grow and give more of ourselves to Him.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). We find more of Jesus in the Word of God, period. If you say you 'know' Jesus but do not spend time to know Him, then I would have to question the depth of your relationship. Think about anyone you meet for the first time. How well do you know them at first? The more time you spend with them, the better you get to know them, right? At the same time, the less time you spend with them, the less you think of them. The same is true with God. Jesus told those who believed Him, "…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32). He is the One who holds all the love, security, and answers you're searching for. So, don’t consult Google more than God with your questions. Our heart's desire should be to include and obey Him in everything. The Bible says you do well to believe there is one God, but even the demons believe (James 2:19). This Scripture clearly states that's not enough. We can only expect our minds and nature to change by knowing the truth that sets us free. We must learn more from Him and rely less on our human reasoning. If we continue relying on what our friends, family, and the world tell us, deceptive strongholds we can’t see will remain in our minds and lives. But if we diligently 'come to the table,' the Holy Spirit will illuminate the truth, and His revelation will change our hearts, minds, thoughts, and attitudes. 

There are multiple references in the New Testament of Jesus being present with those sitting at the table; hence, why I say, 'come to the table.' Once we make a habit of this every day, we won't miss our quiet time with the Lord because it becomes the very source of our faith, love, joy, and strength. We will understand the grace and freedom that enables us to become doers of the Word, His ultimate will, and purpose for our lives. If we have asked Jesus into our hearts, we have what it takes to grow into all He intended for us!

I have a reason for writing so much about how important it is to spend prayerful time in our Bibles before delving into our ultimate study of flesh vs. Spirit. Regular reading, studying, and hearing the Word of God is the only way to prepare ourselves for the encounters that facilitate real change in our hearts. Even if you don't 'feel anything,' it doesn't mean the seed of the Word is not planted in you, growing your foundation and preparing the 'soil of your heart.' The truth is that we accomplish nothing when we try to change through our own strengths. Jesus changes us as we spend time with Him and study His Word. Also, you likely won't remember what a preacher said last week, but you will remember the revelation knowledge and spiritual blessings you gain by consistently studying the Scriptures for yourself. The Bible tells us what we can expect to gain, so why wouldn't we make it the most crucial thing in our lives? To name just a few of the promises that will take root IF we abide in the Word of God:

·         The Word effectively works in those who believe (1 Thess. 2:3).

·         The Word strengthens our faith (Romans 10:17).

·         The Word cleanses us (Psalm 119:9).

·         The Word keeps us from sinning (Psalm 119:11).

Grace supernaturally comes to obey the Word when we spend time with Him. This desire and ability to change is the difference between religion and relationships. Religion says I have to. Relationship says I want to. And I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). When we obey the Word of God and resist temptations to do things the way we always have, we gain new spiritual territory and grow in our relationship with Christ. We might suffer for a little while when denying our flesh what it wants, but the more we go against it, the easier it becomes. Like physical exercise, which strengthens the body, ‘flesh resistance’ strengthens us spiritually. As we yield our ‘self-will’ and focus on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, we will abandon the cravings of our flesh life.

Bibliography

[1] Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible NKJV (Nashbille, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2022), 458.

[2] Spirit Filled Life Bible Third Edition, Third Edition (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2018), 1511.

[3] Spirit Filled Life Bible Third Edition, 158.

[4] Richard T. Rittenbaugh, “Daily Verse and Comment: 1 Peter 4:19,” accessed August 15, 2024, https://www.theberean.org/index.cfm/main/default/id/10344/ver/NKJV/1-peter-4-19.htm.

[5] sevnapps, “Bible Strong App,” n.d., accessed July 16, 2024.

[6] Brother Lawrence, The Practice of The Presence of God (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982), 25.

[7] Lawrence, 58.

[8] Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible NKJV, 1,190.

[9] Lawrence, The Practice of The Presence of God, 59.

[10] Lawrence, 30.

[11] “Blue Letter Bible,” Study Resources: Dictionaries: Lawlessness (Strongs #G458) (website), accessed March 10, 2024, https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?topic=VT0001615.

[12] Ibid.,“Blue Letter Bible.” Iniquity (Strongs #G93).

[13] Spirit Filled Life Bible Third Edition, 1239.

[14] “Infarction Definition,” Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, accessed August 14, 2024, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/infarction#:~:text=%2F%C9%AAn%CB%88f%C9%91%CB%90rk%CA%83n%2F,blocked%20and%20the%20tissue%20dies.

[15] “Infarction,” Mirriam-Webster Dictionary, accessed August 16, 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infarction.

[16] “AI Overview (Infarction),” accessed August 16, 2024, https://www.google.com/search?q=what+happens+to+the+blood+in+an+infarction&sca_esv=31ffe10ca818684f&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS842US842&sxsrf=ADLYWIIff8L0KNA4aWH_Y4QzShG7A-MjNQ%3A1723847046950&ei=htG_ZrDYOZ3JkvQP2fKu2AI&ved=0ahUKEwiws4XXxvqHAxWdpIQIHVm5CysQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=what+happens+to+the+blood+in+an+infarction&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiKndoYXQgaGFwcGVucyB0byB0aGUgYmxvb2QgaW4gYW4gaW5mYXJjdGlvbjIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRifBTIFECEYnwUyBRAhGJ8FMgUQIRifBTIFECEYnwVIwU1QAFjHS3AAeAGQAQGYAe4CoAHKMKoBCDAuNDEuMC4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAInoAKHLsICBBAjGCfCAgoQIxiABBgnGIoFwgILEAAYgAQYkQIYigXCAgoQABiABBhDGIoFwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMY0QMYxwHCAhAQABiABBixAxhDGIMBGIoFwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYgwHCAg0QABiABBhDGMkDGIoFwgILEAAYgAQYkgMYigXCAgQQABgDwgIFEAAYgATCAg4QABiABBixAxiDARiKBcICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgIIEC4YgAQYsQPCAgoQABiABBgUGIcCwgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYFhgeGA_CAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIFECEYqwKYAwCSBwQwLjM5oAet3gI&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#vhid=zephyr:2&vssid=atritem-https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/h/heart-attack-myocardial-infarction.html.

[17] “Bible Gateway Passage: Matt 22:36-40 (NIV),” Bible Gateway, accessed June 3, 2024, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203%3A6&version=NIV.

[18] Spirit Filled Life Bible Third Edition, 1424.

[19] Spirit Filled Life Bible Third Edition, 582.

[20] Spirit Filled Life Bible Third Edition, 872.

[21] “Bible Gateway Passage: John 3:6 - New International Version,” Bible Gateway, accessed February 10, 2024, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203%3A6&version=NIV.

[22] Spirit Filled Life Bible Third Edition, 592.

[23] YouTube, “Authority and Power of Gods Word - By: Derek Prince,” September 23, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU8G4JG7F8M&list=PPSV&t=135s.

[24] Joyce Meyer, Galatians: A Biblical Study (New York, NY: Hachette Book Group, Inc., 2020), 52–53.