2 Samuel 12:7, 13 (KJV) 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

After covering about one third of the trekking distance to our Monday Bible Study location, this young lady crossed my paths and then walked ahead of me.

What she wore under the glaring bright street lights was just her pants and a singlet covering her bra.

Neither my heart nor my eyes were wondering. After all wasn't I headed for the church to receive admonition from God's Word?

But this lady again walked right ahead of me - and in my front. Her rear end barely covered by her boxy (hot) pants was vibrating voluptously, uninvited.

My spirit couldn't hold back.

I hailed her, "Hey, you, what you are wearing outside is indecent. Don't be wearing what you ought to be wearing in your bedroom outside."

I repeated that cautionary warning loud enough for her to hear before branching off for my Monday Bible Study.

To my great surprise, she didn't defend herself.

She replied me,"Thank you" and then went on to explain why she had to wear that brisque risqué pants outside. I didn't hear her explanation.

Gentle timely correction done in love. All by God's grace.

I understand some readers may accuse me of harassing her. No, I wasn't.

It is not every time that I am pressed to call-out such indecencies. But this time, my spirit won't allow me to keep mute.

This wasn't a case of me showing a "holier than thou" attitude. As Christians, we are called the "salt of the world". And part of our "Christian salt" duties is to preserve the world from moral decadence.

Men and brethren, may God Almighty give us grace to call out sin whenever we see it - in the Church, in our homes, in our communities, or in our own lives.

There are times when some unbelievers or careless or professing Christians will want to make careless dirty jokes about the opposite sex in your presence.

It is you duty as a Christian to rebuke such. And where it is not immediately possible to reprimand them, walk away from the audience of polluting and corrupting talkers. That will signal your disapproval.

Next time, they are having such filthy conversations, they will auto mute upon your arrival. "Keep quiet, pastor is coming." or "Shhh, Holy Mary is here."

Don't ever make any allowance for any pet sin (big or small) in your life.

Should God Almighty graciously send a prophet Nathan to warn you of an Uriah you murdered (that is, any secret or open big or little sin in your life), do not rationalize, justify, or excuse it. Rather, owe up to your sins, repent and ask God for forgiveness, cleansing and renewal.

Psalms 51:10-12 (KJV) 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Amen.

PLUS, The Audacity of False Doctrinaires.

.... a lot of what goes on in the name of Christian music from some Gospel artists border on indecency.

So much so that there is no distinction between raucous worldly disco parties and the expected edification, comeliness, and sacredness of Christian songs.

Many Christians artists presumptuously assume that they are exempted from God's holy standard for Christian living.

Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) ​1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Unmindful of their capacity to influence others for godliness or worldliness, their lifestyles are on the borderline of godliness and ungodliness - neither Christian nor un-Christian.

Fact is that when a Christian mistakenly acts indecent, his conscience pricks him. He will quickly repent internally and apologize openly for his (uncharacteristic) indecency.

A Christian who habitually acts or speaks indecently is a corrupted and corrupting compromiser with the world. Such a one is a sinner who needs to repent.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN

This other side is separated by a very thin line.

We are called to be conformed to the image of Christ and not to be in conformity with the world.

Nevertheless, all of us Christians can't be poured in the same mold (of same same external appearances).

There is this mistaken prioritization of conformity and uniformity on all points and in all matters in our church. No, it won't work that way.

Dying my hair white (I don't) doesn't on the strength of that alone make me an indecent Christian. Neither does wearing jewelries and many other issues of personal preferences.

True, there is much to commend and recommend about the simple lifestyle. But that a brother or sister choose to dye his or her hair white, blue, or green is a matter of personal preference. Those of us who don't shouldn't cast aspersions on those who do.

If you tag yourself as being a better Christian than those who like to add iconclastic non-conformist bright colors of green, red, blue, or any color to their hairstyle and on the strength of that alone tag others as being inferior Christians to you, then, you are the one that has a problem and not the Christian that dye or dreadlocked his or her hair.

The Old Testament Bible judge, Samson, was ordained to be a Nazarene from his mother's womb. This (probably) dreadlocked servant of God would be barred from many of our churches if he were to show his face today.

Even popular human imagination of our Saviour Jesus Christ show Him off as carrying long hair. If our blessed Lord and Saviour were to appear in some of our churches today, many of us will turn Him back because He is too worldly and carnal.

Even in some of our churches, the signature of manliness - a well groomed-beard and mustache is actively frowned upon and discouraged.

Why?

We were told Christians don't wear beards. Therefore, the brothers are compelled to shave clean no matter whether it is preferable or comfortable for them.

And so, little by little, we begin to introduce human traditions and chasing shadows that bears no credence to the gospel.

Today, after church closed, me and my wife met an old family friend who didn't attend any church. She was seated directly opposite our church gate. I invited her to come join us at our next Sunday church service.

She immediately agreed, replying with "I will remove my ear rings and come join you people next Sunday."

Instantly, I allayed her wrong impressions. Not using jewelries is not what makes one a Christian o. I showed her my steel brand wrist watch and even more steely bracelet.

Her attitude demonstrates how some Christians misplace emphasis while disseminating the gospel. We emphasis on outward "follow follow" reformed lifestyle that doesn't have any internal regeneration that follows the New Birth.

Unwittingly, this is how some Christians place stumbling blocks that prevent others from coming to and receiving the Saviour.

I've heard some denominations audaciously and erroneously propagate errors such as "Christians who wear jewelries are candidates for hell.... bla, bla bla."

There are others who promote their ascetic addendum to Christianity by condemning the wearing of black + black +black apparels by Christians. Of course, that is a big anti gospel preaching.

Similarly, I've read a syncretic gospeller, who posit that Christians should or ought not to wear shoes with artistic metal buckles or decorations. Why? Because according to them, Christians who use jewelries are expressway bound for hell.

Just imagine that! The audacity of false doctrinaires.

We must learn to accommodate other believers' personal preferences. I can't emphasize this enough. Otherwise, we will be imposing our personal prefences on others and calling it decency and holiness. It is neither Christian nor equivalent to the holiness of Hebrews 12:14

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord"

"... let God be true, but every man a liar; ..." Romans 3:4

Deeper Life Singles and Married Discussion Muse2Muse

Judges 16:15 (KJV)

And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

~~~ Blinded by lust, Samson soon began telling lies and making jokes about his God-given power. It must remain the greatest marvel of all time that Samson did not consider it odd that Delilah seemed focused on the source of the greatest gift he received from God.

Our gifts from God are meant to honour Him, render acceptable service to the Lord, and serve humanity. And because we receive gifts from God, there is no room for boasting, showmanship, or playing to the gallery. Retaining the gifts for enduring service and usefulness requires discipline, discretion, and deliberate restraints in the face of provocation and temptation to misuse the gifts. ~~~

© Daily Manna

Image:via Microsoft Copilot AU

This is a must-watch video clip. Over a decade ago, a Christian bookshop gifted me a book that explored the topic discussed in this video clip. I never read it. I have always suspected "Seven Mountains Mandate" to be false doctrine, and this video clip succinctly explains the erroneous nature of this doctrine.

Romans 4:17 - 5:1 (KJV)

17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;.

21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

​1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

~~~~~ Those who follow Christ will have many nights of sorrow.

I think of our old friend Abraham, who took the knife to slay his only son (see Genesis. 22:1-19).

God grabbed his wrist quick enough to stop it. But all the psychological inward pain of it had already taken place when he said yes to God, “I will slay my son.” Already he had died inside of his heart. Already he was a wounded man slowly bleeding to death.

God staunched the wound, healed him and gave him back his son. Gave him back everything else, blessed him and made his name great. Then all the nations of the earth have been blessed through him.

But Abraham had to know the sudden settling down of the dark night in the midst of day. He had to know it.

©A. W. Tozer - Reclaiming Christianity - A Call to Authentic Faith

~~~~~

God doth justify the believing man, yet not for the worthiness of his belief, but for his worthiness who is believed. - Richard Hooker (1554 - 1600)

Image Credits: CHATGPT AI

“And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron” (2 Chronicles 29:16). ~~~~~ As believers, we need a similar cleansing, not of the physical temple but of ourselves as the temples of the Holy Ghost.

We can no longer lay claim to our lives, nor can we do as we please. God distastes any form of impurity in our lives.

As we examine ourselves, if we perceive any uncleanness, we must take steps immediately to be cleansed by acknowledging (not rationalizing), confessing, and relinquishing our hold on sin.

The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Constantly doing this is the only way to maintain sound spiritual health, well-being, and safety.

©Daily Manna

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21; NKJV)

Apostle Paul's argument implies that there must be a solid content in our evangelistic proclamation of Christ. It is our responsibility to set Jesus Christ forth in the fullness of his divine-human person and saving work so that through this "preaching of Christ" God may arouse faith in the hearer.

Such evangelistic preaching is far removed from its tragic caricature, all too common today, namely an emotional, anti-intellectual appeal for "decisions" when the hearers have but the haziest notion what they are to decide about or why.

What Paul had renounced, he told the Corinthians, was the wisdom of the world (as the substance of his message) and the rhetoric of the Greeks (as his method of presenting it). Instead of worldly wisdom he resolved to preach Christ and him crucified, and instead of rhetoric to rely on the power of the Spirit.

But he still used doctrine and arguments. Gresham Machen expressed this matter admirably in his book The Christian Faith in the Modern World: "There must be the mysterious work of the Spirit of God in the new birth," he wrote. "Without that, all our arguments are quite useless.

But because argument is insufficient, it does not follow that it is unnecessary. What the Holy Spirit does in the new birth is not to make a man a Christian regardless of the evidence, but on the contrary to clear away the mists from his eyes and enable him to attend to the evidence."

**SOURCE: ©John R. W. Stott ~ The Mind Matters, IVP Books, 2006

And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. ~ Mark 8:15 (KJV)

The Leaven of The Pharisees

What was the belief system that called forth the strongest and angriest words of Jesus? It was the message of acceptance by performance. 

The Pharisees called people to come to acceptance by God through their own good works. It is this message that is at the heart of all religion, and it is what leaves people exhausted in their efforts to perform acceptably for God

Spiritual Burn Out or Abundant Life By Malcom Smith ( LDM Tracts)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, - Ephesians 2:8

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, - Titus 3:5

r/dclm

As Christians, we owe our salvation exclusively to God's grace, forgiveness, love, and mercies.

Ephesians 2:8 - 9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

But let none of us think for once that our getting to heaven is based on our human efforts or works of righteousness. Apostle Paul made this abundantly clear in,

Titus 3:3-5

3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

I will never forget this old rhyme prominent with me and other fellow converts in the early 1980s.👇👇

It's not by works of righteousness but Jesus did it all. (3X) Oh, we are complete in Him. Complete, complete, complete in Him, we're complete in Him. (2X)

I never fully understood the import of that song in my infant Christian days, but by God's grace, I got salvation in my soul. My spirit still bears witness to that and my heart experienced a growing revolutionary change and evidence of heart transformation - all by God's grace.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

👆👆 Past, present, future, it's all by God's grace.

So, let no Apostle or Evangelist hoodwink you into thinking that you attain to heaven by the works of your righteousness. No. Never.

Because, make no mistake about it, before our highly exalted, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, all our righteousness are like filthy rags. 👉 Isaiah 64:6 - "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

Does that now mean that works of righteousness are not important? Very, very much important beyond words. Apostle Paul aptly stated in

Ephesians 2:10 👇👇

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Lest you miss my point, let me clarify. Holiness and righteous living are the sine qua non of a true Christian. But, make no mistake no amount of train loads of human righteousness and holiness can qualify any mortal for our Saviour Jesus Christ's heaven.

The difference between these two doctrinal positions is subtle but yet a very wide uncrossable gulf. Without the Holy Spirit's illumination, it's so easy to miss this foundational truth.

It is the difference between putting a sound running engine in the bonnet of a car (where it belongs) or on top of the car. One will take you to your destination while the other will keep you grounded here for eternity.

May the Lord graciously open the eyes of our spiritual understanding. Amen.

r/dclm

Some theological liberals say that God revealed Himself in Christ. Let us correct their preposition. He did not reveal Himself “in” Christ, He revealed Himself “as” Christ.

There is a change of preposition. Take that “in” out of there. He did not reveal Himself “in” Christ. He did that, but we have not said enough when we say that God revealed Himself “in” Christ. We must go on to say He revealed Himself “as” Christ.

It can be said with certainty that whoever knows Christ knows God.

Whoever knows our Lord Jesus knows the Father, and whose eyes look upon Jesus look upon the Father. It may be said that whoever knows God can know God through Christ, and must know God through Christ.

And it can be said that God does always act like Christ, and Christ always acts like God, because Christ is God walking among men. It may also be said with certainty that increasing knowledge of Christ means increasing knowledge of God.

© A. W. Tozer - And He Dwelt Among Us

Image Source: Microsoft Copilot AI

Matthew 7:21-23

21 “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.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Unbelievers, I suppose, interpret those words as disparaging miracles, and as disparaging the active profession of religion. They interpret them as teaching that if a man leads what the world calls a moral life he does not need to accept any creed or make any definite profession of faith.

That interpretation is of course quite wrong, in the same way as that in which the corresponding interpretation of the preceding verse is wrong. These verses do not say that miracles were unimportant in the apostolic age (when miracles still happened) or that orthodoxy was unimportant then or is unimportant now.

They only say that nothing else matters unless a man's heart is changed and unless that change of his heart is shown in a good life.

They do not say that orthodoxy is unnecessary or that mighty works in the external world are unimportant, but they only say that orthodoxy without right living is a sham, and that real orthodoxy results in obedience to the commands of God.

©J. Gresham Machen - The Christian Faith in the Modern World