ME-CENTERED LIFE-STYLE OR THE ‘MASTER-ED’ “NEW CREATION”?
J.FARRELL FISHER, September 6-8, 2018
Frank Wright, PhD., and resident and CEO of ‘D.James Kennedy Ministries’, sent me an E-Mail about “gender confusion abounds”, from his book, “The Great Confusion”, saying: “We are living in an increasingly “me-centered” culture and perhaps there’s no greater evidence of this than the growing rush or push by some to choose their gender – not based on biology but rather based on personal preference. In other words, “I demand the freedom to be a man today, a woman next week, and something else the week after. Why? Because, it’s my right and you have to make accomodations for me”, adding, …“Gender confusion is running rampant in our culture…!”
I couldn’t help but to go to my dictionary, “The Random House College Dictionary”, Revised Edition, published by The Random House’s “Unabridged Edition” of 1975, looking up their definition of the word ‘confusion’, then they defined it as “the act of confusing, the state of being confused. Disorder, upheaval, chaos; lack of clearness or distinctness. Embarrassment or abashment; perplexity, bewilderment…”, and by the time I finished reading that, I thought: “No wonder there’s so much disarray, yes, IN THE CHURCH, with ‘professing believers’, even baptized, but possessing NO AWARENESS of the distinction between ‘me-centered life-styles’ and THE ‘Master-ed’ “New Creation”!”
Have you ever crossed paths with “bewildered disciples” who, having ‘professed Christ’, have lived ‘in the faith’ with a “best-effort mentality”, but unaware that THAT WAS “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST”?!?
Examine 2 Timothy 2:10-26 carefully and studiously! It says: Paul speaking to young Timothy, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus WITH eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we died WITH Him, we shall also live WITH Him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also WILL deny us: If we believe not (trust not), He abides faithful (TO HIMSELF, HIS CALLING, HIS MISSION!); He cannot deny Himself.
Of these things PUT THEM IN REMEMBRANCE, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as does a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure, having THIS SEAL, The Lord knows them that are His. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ DEPART FROM INIQUITY. BUT in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts (immature desires); but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; AND that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
‘Me-centered-life-style’? ‘Even ‘hearing’ Truth, but choosing ‘the error of his/her ways’?’ In James 5:19-20 the brother of Jesus, James, said, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from ‘the error of his way’ shall save a soul from death (eternal death that never dies!!), and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
“Me-centered-life-styles”? That’s those who “have drifted away from THE TRUTH”, and are taken ‘captive’ by Satan to do his will, not God’s will! Tony Evans, in his book, entitled “America’s Only Hope”, with the sub-title, Impacting Society in the ‘90’s, but we’re now in 2018, but his statement still has eternal merit. He said in his “preface”, “yet our nation suffers from a serious malady. The heart of our nation is diseased by a moral and ethical virus that is spreading rapidly throughout our entire population. This ‘disease of the soul’ threatens to deliver a national deathblow.
Even worse, the disease is not being diagnosed for what it is. We are allocating a great deal of time and money in an attempt to cure the symptoms of the disease, but we have little understanding of the nature of the disease itself. As I observe the multifaceted crisis we face, it is apparent that unless we bring about a major reversal of our moral and ethical frame of reference, we will self-destruct. We are in grave danger of doing to ourselves what no other enemy could do.”
“Me-centered-life-styles” that, yes, turn deaf ears to the divine revelation of Scriptures, inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit, and are intentionally ‘dumping’ on fallen humanity the unimportance of the Holy Word of God, ‘sugar-coating’ the ‘disease’ of Spirit-avoidance, and embracing ‘life-failure’, ‘life-unbelief’ in ‘the saving grace and mercy and the love of God’, to then embrace full surrender to ‘satisfy’ the ‘sin nature’ and its powerful but destructive intent, even upholding the sick values of a godless society, re-enforcing the warped thoughts in one’s mind, and unashamedly declaring by practice, “I have no desire for your ‘god’ managing my choices for worldly pleasures – I’m able, and don’t want your “God’s’ love, His grace, or His mercy!”
There IS the reality of misguided men in our mortal sphere of influences! There ARE, according to Proverbs 30:12 (ESV), “those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.” There are those, yes, captured and captivated by Satan’s strong, deceptive influences that sadly are easily led astray, easily overwhelmed by Satanic, fleshly temptations that entice to the point that ‘interest’ in God’s eternal purpose for “Life in Him” to bless you beyond human understanding to be ‘blotted out’ by his ‘strong cords and enticements that, he says, satisfies your ‘natural tendencies’ to the point of ultimate pleasure, though blinding one to the love, grace, and mercy of God!
But, are you also aware of His “chosen people”, Israel, a people, blessed of God but turned inward in ‘satisfying’ the ‘me-centered-life-styles’? In Daniel 9:11-14, 16-17,and 19-23 we read, not only about the restoration of all Israel, but of those repentant ones who, yes, TURNED TO GOD, CRIED OUT, AND WERE TOUCHED BY HIS “AMAZING GRACE”!
Daniel 9:11-14 tells us, “Yes, all Israel have transgressed Your law, God, even by departing, that they might not obey Your voice; therefore ‘the curse’ is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, BECAUSE we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us, and against our judges (who twist His laws) that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven has not been done as has been done upon Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us; yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand Your truth. Therefore has the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought (the consequences) upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all His works which He does; for we have not obeyed His voice.”
“Me-centered life-styles”, confronted by prophets, messengers from God, passionate devotees to truth, like Daniel, can certainly turn a ‘tidal wave of disobedience’ into, yes, spiritual revival and renewal for many who ‘betrayed’ the calling, repented, and returned to pick up “the pieces or lives” that could, and were turned back by, yes, prophetic ministries, like Daniel’s!! Daniel 9: 16-17 IS the convicting spirit that God used, yes, to return some to submission to His word, His will, and His way! Daniel prayed:
“O Lord, according to ALL YOUR righteousness, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all that are about us.
Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of Your servant and his supplications, and CAUSE Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary that is (presently) desolate, for Your sake, for Your honor, for Your glory, once again.”
Oh, then look at Daniel 9:19-23! “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do (act mercifully!!); defer not, for Your own sake, O my God (defer not? Maybe, “don’t delay in acting mercifully toward ‘wrong-doers’, but, maybe, give them a second chance or opportunity to honor You, O Lord”?): for Your city and Your people are called by Your name. And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, AND presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;
Yes, while I was speaking in prayer (to Him), even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel (O Farrell!), I am now come forth to give you skill and understanding. (Though fallen, there’s hope! Though disobedient, there’s forgiveness! Though spiritually ‘stupid’, God wants to make you “wise”!!).
Verse 23, At the beginning of your supplications the commandment came forth, and I AM COME to show you; for you are greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” Amen and Amen and Amen! God IS no respecter of persons, but will forgive and will re-introduce you to your calling, and will, if you let Him, pour you out as a drink offering to all you come in contact with! (I dated this Verse on April 14, 1983! And I’ve never forgotten God’s grace and God’s mercy and God’s choice in, yes, choosing ME to be the ‘container’ of His Son’s Resurrection Life so, what Jesus did in New Testament days, He still is the Same, longing to enter YOU as He does to every repentant child of faith, finished with himself/herself, and letting the Resurrected Christ be Himself through the vessel of your surrendered life!!
“In Christ”, after repentance and faith, it’s so important that you grasp Ecclesiastes 11:5 that says: “As YOU do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”
In fact, it’s not up to us to interpret ‘God’s infinite mind’ as Isaiah 55:8-9 educates us and, at least, for us, instructs us, ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than yours, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” WE LEARN THROUGH OUR ‘SPIRITUAL’ BUT FLESHLY FAILURES, that He’s thankful when we’re finished with our “best efforts”, and we allow “Jesus, Be Jesus In Me!” Amen?
“In Christ”, true disciples are not called to ‘try’, ‘keep trying’, but TRUST HIM TO BE HIMSELF IN YOU AND THROUGH SO THAT YOU, DAY BY DAY ,TAKE “THE SENTENCE OF DEATH TO YOURSELF WILLFULLY”, THAT HIS RESURRECTION LIFE MAY BE MANIFESTED IN AND THROUGH YOUR MORTAL FLESH!!
“Me-Centered-Life-Style OR “The MASTER-CENTERED NEW CREATION”? Come to Hebrews!!
First, Hebrews 10:19-25, 35-36, and 39!
Second, Hebrews 11:1-13, 17-40!
Third, Hebrews 12:1-14, 22-29!
Fourth, Hebrews 13:6-8!!!
FIRST, Hebrews 10:19-25, 35-36, and 39! “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a NEW AND LIVING WAY, which He has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God (Are YOU ‘in Christ’ a house of God?);
Let us draw near with a true heart (new heart because of Christ’s blood redemption!) in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.(The ‘water of His Holy Word’!). Let us HOLD FAST the profession of our faith WITHOUT WAVERING; (for He is faithful that promised;)
And let us consider one another to provoke (or challenge) unto love and good works; Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as you see the day approaching.
Verses 35-36 then says: “Cast not away therefore your CONFIDENCE, which has great recompence of reward. For you have need of patience (or steadfastness!), that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.
Verse 39! “But WE are not of them who drew back unto perdition; but of them that believe (and keep on believing!) to the saving of the soul.”
SECOND, Hebrews 11:1-13 says: “Now faith (saving faith) is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead STILL speaks. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of “the righteousness which is by faith”.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned IN THE LAND OF PROMISE, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age (of child-bearing), because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
(Now, Verses 17-40!), By faith Abraham, when he was tried (tested), offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall your seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, EVEN FROM THE DEAD; (Are you aware of the “Christless” who live ‘under the law of sin and death’?); from whence also he received Him in a figure.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they “saw” he was a proper child (destined for eternal greatness in and through God’s choice, His anointing, and His calling and mission?); and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than to enjoy the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
By faith (which IS obedience) he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he ENDURED, as seeing Him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroys the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land; which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jepthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Who through faith, subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance: that they might obtain a better resurrection:
And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yes, moreover of bonds and imprisonments; They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts, in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And these ALL, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Third, Hebrews 12:1-3, and Verses 22-29, that enlightens us even more! “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let US lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let US run with patience (steadfastness) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and IS SET DOWN at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds.” WHY?
Hebrews 12:22-29 educates us in our ‘immaturity’ as ‘children of faith’ not yet mature in patient endurance of life’s spiritual wars with the world, the old sin-nature, and with Satan and his demon forces, saying to us, “But you (in Christ) are come unto mount Sion, AND unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, AND to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel. SEE THAT YOU REFUSE NOT HIM THAT SPEAKS. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape, if we turn away from Him that speaks from heaven;
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.”
H.L. Gilmour and George D. Moore, in the old “Broadman Hymnal”, wrote a song called “The Haven of Rest”. It says: “My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea, So burdened with sin and distrest, Till I heard a sweet voice saying, “Make Me your choice,” And I entered the haven of rest.
I yielded myself to His tender embrace, And, faith taking hold of the Word, My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul: The haven of rest IS MY LORD.
The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole, Has been the old story so blest, Of Jesus, who’ll save whosoever will & will have a home in this haven of rest.
Oh, come to the Savior, He patiently waits, To save by His power divine; Come, anchor your soul in the haven of rest, And say, “My Beloved, Jesus, is mine.”
I’ve anchored my soul in the haven of rest, I’ll sail the wild seas no more; The tempest may sweep o’er the wild stormy deep, In Jesus I’m safe evermore.”
Are YOU “safe evermore” because you’ve been “sealed in Christ”?
Fourth, and Last: Hebrews 13:6-8!! “So that WE may boldly say, ‘The Lord IS my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me’. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”
Oh, in Hebrews 13:9b, we read, “For it is a good thing that the heart be established with the grace of God!” AMEN? Is YOUR heart ESTABLISHED IN THE GRACE OF GOD?