"APF VIDEO DEVOTIONAL"

APF VIDEO DEVOTIONAL DEVOTIONAL

Forgiveness Does Not Eliminate Consequences

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

The 11th of the month is Psalm 51 day, perhaps the greatest prayer of repentance anywhere.  I pray it regularly whether I am aware of a particular sin or not.

Most think of David's chief sin as his relationship with Bathsheba.  But when later writers are speaking of David and how he, "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life," they add, "except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite."  When most people think of David's "great sin," they think of Bathsheba, not Uriah.  This is not an attempt to make any particular sin greater or worse than another.  James 2:10 says, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."  

David's betrayal of Uriah the Hittite was despicable.  Uriah was among David's 30 great men; he was a friend.  Uriah was a man of great integrity.  You remember that he would not go to his house when David brought him back from the battle because, "The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields."  The way David dealt with Uriah was betrayal of the first order. 

When we read Psalm 51, we read perhaps the deepest regret, sorrow and conviction in David's existence.  Here David repents of the sin with Bathsheba and the betrayal of Uriah, adultery and murder.  David never mentions the adulterous affair with Bathsheba, but the first 13 verses reveal his tortured soul over the matter.  In verse 14, however, we do see a direct referral to the murder of Uriah, "Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness."  

This was conspiracy of the worst order.  This was David, "the sweet psalmist of Israel," the mighty warrior, the shepherd king, the one credited with God's promise, "I made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: 'Your seed I will establish forever, and build up your throne to all generations,'" fulfilled in our Lord Jesus  Christ, "son of David."  The Good Shepherd/Savior of mankind, Jesus, did deliver David; Nathan told him, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."  But you can read in the context that Nathan told David there would be consequences to his sin.  Now some would call this judgment, and while that may be a part of it, there is also in the admonition the inherent consequence of sin, the sowing and reaping principle.  

Yes, God forgave David's sin, and you and I can rejoice in the fact that, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."   Yet too many today take Jesus' forgiveness as a license to sin.  Go to confession, ask forgiveness, a little church-going, a little worship, a little shouting, some tithing-------- and right back out to the same unchanged life as before.  Remember the old 50's song, "Though it makes Him sad to see the way we live, He'll always say, 'I forgive.'"  So why do anything about sin in our lives?  No big deal; "He'll always say, 'I forgive.'"  Yet nowhere in Biblical Theology do we read that forgiveness equals consequence eradication.  The dictionary defines "consequence" as "the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier, an act or instance of following something as an effect, result, or outcome."  Forgiveness of my sin does not eradicate consequences.

So many people are confused as to things which occur in their lives; they blame God, others, the government, etc.  What they fail or refuse to see is that there is so much malady in our lives which has come as a result of sin which was sown long, long ago, forgiven, though it may have been.  "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."  The "word" to the Church today is, Be very, very careful what we are sowing.  "Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."  What a frightening, yet at the same time, glorious choice.

Father, in Jesus' Name, Holy Spirit, I seek grace and mercy in this awesome choice in life.  I want, "to please the Spirit;" please help me in life's sowing.  Amen.

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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"Image" vs. "Shadow"

"For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices...make those who approach perfect." (Hebrews 10:1)

Perfection, by the way, is the objective of Father for you and me (Matthew 5:48).  There are a lot of things which can make me "good."  Only Jesus can, "make those who approach perfect."

If I want to put my arms around my grandchildren, I don't attempt to embrace their shadow; I find them.  Shadows are not real.  The dictionary describes a shadow as "a dark figure...cast on the ground or some surface by a body intercepting light-- shade of comparative darkness, as in an area."  Oh, how the human race has been grasping for shadows since the Garden, "dark figure[s], comparative darkness."

The reason, "the law...can never with these same sacrifices...make those who approach perfect" is that shadows are, "not the very image...."  This does not negate the Law; this does, however, emphasize, "the very image," Jesus.  "He is the image of the invisible God...." (Colossians 1)  Colossians 2 speaks of people embracing things which are, "a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."  Jesus Christ is, "the substance,..the very image," of the Godhead, of the Law and the Prophets.  Jesus said the Bible testifies of Him (John 5).

Man's religious philosophy leads people to continue to grasp at shadows and keep them from, "the substance...Christ."  The Church from the second century on began a shadow pursuit.  Most of the challenges of the Reformers were to these shadow philosophies and reasonings.  What such a pursuit did was to take people away from Jesus Christ, "the substance,..the very image."  Mary, the saints, even "the Church," became shadows in Christendom.  Catholics can debate this, but why is it that every Catholic I ever met who became a "Protestant" laments the lack of Biblical teaching and the centrality of Jesus Christ in Catholicism?  It was the purpose of the Reformers to bring people "back" to the centrality of Jesus Christ.  And let me say that it was not only the Catholic Church who pursued and still purues shadows.  Evangelicals and Charismatics have their own shadows.

Hebrews is the great, "substance" and, "very image," Epistle.  The declaration in Hebrews is that all contained in the Old Covenant is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  Indeed, this is the proclamation of the Historic Church.  Though clouded for centuries in shadows, "the very image," has always triumphed over, "a shadow."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I want no, "shadow of the good things to come," I want You.  Amen. 

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Read of Great Breakthrough for Netanyahu: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group: www.unreachedpeoples.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

APF DEVOTIONAL

Movie Recording 9 "SEND OUT YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH"

Oh, I Can Hear The Objections Now

"We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, the deeds you did in their days, in the days of old: You drove out the nations with Your hand, but them You planted...." (Psalm 44:1,2a)

Of course this is the Jewish People and the Nation/Family of Israel.  But I believe it also applies to the United States of America.  I do not say that the US is the most important Gentile nation, or that it is better than other nations, or anything of the kind.  I do, however, believe that God raised up America for purposes which few realize or are willing to acknowledge.  Suffice it to say, the US was the first nation to recognize the modern State of Israel, and the nation which supplied arms to Israel in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, arms which insured Israel's survival, arms which enabled Israel to defeat the Gentile nations intent on Jewish destruction and annihilation.  I believe support of Israel is America's primary appointment in history.  Furthermore, the United States of America defeated Nazi Germany and Japan.  Some say, "What about Russia, England, France?"  My response is that if the US had not sent millions and millions of dollars worth of supplies, none of those nations would have survived the war.  Regardless, it was American power and moral strength which emancipated the slaves, which brought the Soviet Union to its knees, saved the Korean peninsula from communist enslavement, etc.  Yes, America has failed in many other ways, but King Jesus has used America for His Purposes in so many ways throughout America's brief history.

"....Our fathers have told us, the deeds You did in their days, in days of old...."  Yes they did.  But today, well, today is a different story.  No longer do our universities tell, "Us the deeds You did in...days of old...."  They only tell of America's evil, then and now.  They speak of our arrogance, injustices, suppression, and even the current President has made it a mission in life to remind Americans and the rest of the world just how terrible has been American egocentricity, his academic allies would even say, barbarism.  

A substantial ingredient in Jewish/Israel survival is, "Our fathers have told us the deeds You did," likewise the Church of Jesus Christ, because, "Our fathers have told us the deeds You did."  If, "our fathers," ever stop telling, "the deeds You did," the Enemy of mankind will never stop, his cronies will never stop, and I can guarantee you, Satan, who has already won the universities in America and the other nations of the World, and who has already won the majority of Christendom, will never cease to make a mockery of, "the deeds You did."  So, 

"Rise up, O men of God!

Have done with lesser things.

Give heart and mind and soul and strength

To serve the King of kings.

Lift high the cross of Christ!

Tread where His feet have trod.

As brothers of the Son of Man,

Rise up, O men of God!"

If faithful people do this, people may not accept, "the deeds You did," but they will not be able to forget, "the deeds You did."

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to tell, "the deeds You did," and continue so.  Amen.

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Devotional Video Later

Bin Laden Allies in the American Press: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

The "Whisper...Deep Within [Our] Hearts"

"An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes."  (Psalm 36:1)

This is from the NKJV, which is the basic translation I use.  But there is a different interpretation of the first part of our text among some translations.  The NASB says, "Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes."  From my study of the Hebrew Interlinear Bible, this latter translation seems to be the most accurate to me.  The NLT translates similarly, "Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.  They have no fear of God at all."  This is why we don't see sin so quickly in ourselves or others; it has gone, "deep within their hearts."  Furthermore, it, "whispers," there because they have allowed it there; they have entertained sin so long that sin has found a comfortable resting place, feels quite at home, secure.  Maybe sin does not start, "deep within their hearts," but if ignored, it will keep going deeper and deeper until they become like those described in 1 Timothy 4:2, "having their conscience seared with a hot iron...."  Once this happens, there is the very, very serious danger of what happened to Esau, "....he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears."  May our Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us all. 

The first four verses of Psalm 36 reveal much about, "the wicked."

1. "No fear of God before his eyes"

2. "He flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity...."

3. "The words of his mouth are...deceit...."

4. "He has ceased to be wise....

5. "He does not abhor evil."  

If all people would get His Words, "deep within their hearts," however, this sin would, "not have the dominion over [us]."  Instead of, "Sin whispers...deep within their hearts," the "God-Breathed" Word, incarnate in Jesus Christ, would, "...whisper... deep within their hearts."  There would be no flattery, no deceit, no acceptance and tolerance of evil, only the glorious, "whisper," gloriously, "deep within [our] hearts."  What, "whispers...deep within," you today?

Father, in Jesus' Name, examine the, "whisper...deep within [my] heart[]."  I pray it be only You, The Son, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Your Words, which are, "forever settled in the heavens."  Amen.

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The Worship of Che Still Continues: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"APF DEVOTIONAL" (Video)

APF DEVOTIONAL "THE BOOKS WERE OPENED"

Christians in America Will Be Held Accountable

"Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in aw of Him." (Psalm 33:8)

One Bible titles this Psalm, "The Sovereignty of the Lord in Creation and History."  The Psalm begins with a call to, "Rejoice," and, "make melody to Him...."  He then declares, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth."  And then the call is, "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him."  And verse 10 reveals the destiny of men and nations who govern as Babel, "Let us make a name for ourselves," and the futility of humanity in its endeavors apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.  The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations."  Search the Scriptures and you will see that any people group which submits to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Reign, His Government in the earth, has always had the promise that its, "counsel," and, "plans," would, "stand[] forever...."  

Americans have had a privilege unlike any other nation in human history.  They have had the privilege and awesome responsibility from the very founding of The United States of America to determine their own leaders.  I recently read an article which revealed that since 1960, Americans have never turned out to vote in numbers greater that 60%!  And since we know that most Americans are not "evangelicals," what does this day about the percentage of the American church and its voting record?  Followers of Jesus Christ have had the responsibility from the beginning of America to determine who rules in the land.  "The counsel of the Lord," could have ruled this nation from the late 18th century to today.  Why has it not?  People who call themselves "Christians" have been like the Hebrew Army on the hillside opposite the Philistine forces in 1 Samuel 17.  Every day they would go forth to the battle shouting-------------------- but did absolutely nothing.  At the, "Judgement Seat of Christ," we will be held accountable for this great neglect and capitulation to the forces of Satan.

America could have had Presidents, Congresses, and Supreme Courts, let alone state and local governments which would have manifested the Reign of Jesus Christ.  Oh, yes it could have!!  But I am still praying for such a nation, a nation of which Psalm 33:12 declares, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord...."  There will always be the Obamas, the Reverend Wrights, the perverts of Hollywood etc.  But they do not have to control the nation.  That is up to us who claim Jesus Christ as our Lord.  Working and voting, not just shouting and building bigger "ministries," as one voice, "that they may be one just as We are one," America can still be a, "Blessed...nation whose God is the Lord."

Father, in Jesus' Name, may it be so."  Amen.

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Obama's Holocaust Remembrance Failure: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2