JUNE 21-22, 2018, BY: J.FARRELL FISHER

Highly interesting Verse in Psalm 90:11, a prayer of Moses which is highly significant when he said: “Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.” Would you say, “Yes, there IS the ‘power of God’s anger’, and it can be and is expressed to the ‘godless’, and, at times, even upon His own people!

In Exodus 4, Moses, receiving instructions from the Lord about appearing and accusing Pharaoh for his actions against God’s “chosen people”, reacts to God about His instructions, and in Exodus 4:14 the Word tells us: “So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses…”! That bothers some people who profess faith because their attitude is, “Holy God should never be angry with anybody, especially His own people”, and yet it’s clear from Genesis through Revelation that there IS “divine anger” as there is “flesh anger”!

(Of course, ‘flesh-folk’, even ‘God’s own children of faith’, are fully aware of the moment or moments when emotions arise of instant displeasure, instant hostility, instant indignation, from feelings of injustice, injury, or incompatibility with one’s expectations!).

There is no doubt that, even in the “Christian communities of faith”, there ARE the ‘moments’ (?), or the ‘s (?), or the ‘days’ (?), when Holy God Himself stands in “firm” opposition to the ‘flesh acts’ of some believers at times, that I would say ‘at least’ should be very infrequent!

Legitimate anger among believers? In Ephesians 4:26 Paul wrote, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, Verse 27, nor give place to the devil.” Uncontrolled anger, undisciplined anger, unnecessary anger, has a special place, standing before Holy God ,to give an explanation, and repent or else!

Merrill Unger, in his huge “Unger’s Bible Dictionary”, published by Moody Press in 1974, wrote: “Anger is sinful when it rises too soon, without reflection; when the injury which awakens it is only apparent; when it is disproportionate to the offense; when it is transferred from the guilty to the innocent; when it is too long protracted and becomes revengeful.”

Illegitimate anger among believers? In Matthew 5:21-22 we read, Jesus speaking, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. BUT I SAY TO YOU that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause (so ‘anger’ without a cause faces ‘judgment’ but ‘anger’ with a cause faces judgment? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!) shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ (OR ‘worthless’, ‘empty’, ‘good-for-nothing’) shall be in danger of the council.)” That doesn’t sound good! But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”

Illegitimate anger? In Genesis 49:5-7, as the Spirit-inspired what Jacob spoke, we read, “Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel!”

Did you notice? “Anger, self-will, cruelty, ‘slaying folk’” – and that doesn’t have to be just ‘physical murder’ – it can be ‘spiritual murder’ as one cruelly puts down a “fellow saint” for not measuring up to one’s ‘fleshly opinion’!

In Proverbs 29:20-23 we read, “Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. He who pampers his servant from childhood will have him as a son in the end. An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgressions. A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Dare I tell you? A humble man can rise up in anger because of the ill-will for one man or the other, but a proud man will rise up in uncontrollable anger because he’s self-empowered for his honor and not God’s!! And he faces eternal danger or damnation!

Included also for those who walk the waves of illegitimate anger are those who carelessly brutalize a wife, a husband, a friend, a business associate, a classmate, or even an enemy, without any consideration of Holy God in making an eternal difference in a man’s inhumanity toward others! Consider ‘kids’, ‘teenagers’, brought up in godless neighborhoods or with godless parents, and, at times, find no problem in shaming, disgracing, even brutalizing a ‘lone sheep’ without a guardian because Mom and Dad both work and he’s left alone to ‘try’ and make it in, around, and through reckless bands of neighborhood ‘kids’ that act like ‘demons’ toward others! There are ruthless kids, young adults, even angry men, and they remain that way because self-will, self-determination about who or what one likes, with ‘self-sovereignty’ reigning supreme in their sinful hearts, AND THEY LIKE IT, at least, for a time in their godless adventures, and with illegitimate anger come against others!

And the illegitimately angry crowd has NOTHING to be proud about in, at times, their unrighteous outbursts of anger, indecency, and fleshly pride! In Romans 1:18-2:11 Paul writes a powerful word about what I seek to expose. Listen!! “For the WRATH OF GOD is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God IS MANIFEST IN THEM, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, BEING UNDERSTOOD BY THE THINGS THAT ARE MADE, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE; because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful,

But became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like corruptible man – and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. THEREFORE God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, WHO EXCHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR “THE LIE”, (“THE LIE”? One can sin and not die!!), and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. ( ISN’T THIS WORD ENOUGH?). BUT…

Romans 2:1-11 says, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to THOSE WHO ARE SELF-SEEKING and DO NOT OBEY THE TRUTH, but obey unrighteousness – indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” DOES THAT SPEAK TO YOU, AWAKEN YOU, AND TURN YOU FROM THE EVIL WAY TO THE WAY OF CHRIST ALONE?

The ‘self-seekers’, the ‘self-promoters’, the ‘self-worshippers’, have no problem “pushing God away” from their hearts, but their minds cannot obliterate the reality of God from their thinking processes! In Romans 1:19-20 (NLT), Paul wrote inspired by the Holy Spirit, “For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has PUT THIS KNOWLEDGE IN THEIR HEARTS. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So that they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.”

The ‘self-seekers’ supposedly don’t ‘know God’ because they choose to be blind to His Presence, yes, even as He “knocks on their hearts’ doors”, because they are ‘in love’ with their sin-natures, ‘deceived’ by Satan, and captivated by a ‘world-spirit’ that tries to shut God out! How foolish, how ridiculous, how stupid!

In Psalm 2:1-6 there are powerful statements about ‘fallen man’s attempts’ about radicalizing God out of their existence, though He never leaves! It says: “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot (or ‘imagine’) a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.’ (BUT) He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. THEN He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure. “Yet (in spite of My displeasure) I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” GLORY!!

‘Self-seekers’ have no desire to face God’s reactions to their attempts to annihilate “Faith and Forgiveness and a God-Present Now” in the inner man, since ‘self-rule’ is more desirable to them than the love, grace, and mercy of God in “birthing” NEW MEN by His eternal Power and Glory and Purposes, and His Resurrected Presence “in Christ Jesus”!

Many unbelievers and “pretenders” won’t like it, but Seneca, in the writing, “De Providentia, V”, said: “Gold is tried in fire, and acceptable men (by God) in the furnace of adversity.” So true! Didn’t Isaiah write, in Isaiah 30:20, “””””And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers.”””””” Dare me to tell you? Believe I will! Examine “misguided anger,” “massive anger”, “minimal anger”, OR, dare you look at the “Master’s anger”?

Verse 21, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” Walking IN “the Way”? Man’s ‘ways’ or God’s “Way, Truth, and Life”? Dare YOU “rest” in Psalm 18:28-36, and Verses 46-50?

Psalm 18:28-36 says: “For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, AND makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on high places. He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, so my feet do not slip.” Oh, and then, Verses 46-50! It says: “The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. YOU also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name. Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore (and to Farrell & Sue Fisher and their descendants FOREVERMORE!!).

I wrote a few words just moments ago entitled, “I AM MY LORD’S”! It says: “I am my Lord’s, and He is mine, my Lord and Savior, yes, God divine…

In adversity, distress, and ‘enemy attack’, the Lord is ever faithful in guarding against Satan’s attacks.

Though the pathway of life may be filled with strife, my Lord is able to resurrect ‘death’ into eternal life!

Eternal Life, His present reality, Eternal Life, His constant provision, divinely resident to halt Satan’s derision.

I am my Lord, and He is mine, my Lord and Savior, yes, God divine. Never to leave me or strand me alone, His present voice Heaven’s constant, familiar tone!

“I’ll never leave you to strive on your own – You are MINE, and because of My Presence, YOU WILL SHINE!

Shine to My glory, shine to My praise, because of mercy and grace, YOU I will raise, raised to My Presence, never to depart, YOU are made ONE with the Father’s heart!” Amen and Amen and Amen? Glory to our Lord’s Precious Name, yes, constantly of will, bowing continuously to the Father’s heart!” AMEN?

CLOTHED IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST?”

July 25-26, 2017

Do you believe, at least, that Pharoah, leader of Egypt in the time of Moses, was a ‘religious man’? I have no doubts! BUT, when Moses and Aaron went in to Pharoah, with a “Thus says the Lord,” in Exodus 5:1, Pharoah responded, in Verse 2, “Who is the Lord, that I should let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” Pharoah’s “sweet waters” of unbelief became “bitter waters” opening up the floodgates of divine judgment and washing Pharoah’s life of unbelief, rejection, and fleshly independence away!

In James 1:26 the brother of Jesus wrote: “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, this one’s religion is useless.” Without a doubt, there are large numbers of men and women who live religiously with the robes of ‘best efforts’ yet know nothing about “clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus”, basically ‘serving’ a useless, ‘best effort faith’ of fallen men!

Is there a biblical truth about “clothed in the robes of true salvation” or are there those who ‘imitate’, choose ‘religious garments’ (?), while “clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus” is to them unknown grounds they don’t prefer to walk on, “Just give us our religious robes, and we’re happy!” But is there such a thing as “clothed with desperation” rather than “clothed in deliverance”? The “strange apparels” of religious pretense do not transform sinful hearts and minds into the residences of Christ Jesus!

In Psalm 109 David talked about his “accusers” who were clothed in shame and opposed him in false judgments and accusations. [Is fallen mankind the same regardless of location or historic time periods? I certainly think so!]. What happened to King David does happen today, yes, even when there are those who wear the “religious robes” of ‘best efforts’ while they seek to assassinate true disciples of Christ Jesus! Psalm 109:17-20 tells us David spoke these words concerning ‘religiously-robed, best effort folks’ he considered false testifiers of religious devotion: “As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; as he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, so let it enter his body like water, and like oil in his bones. Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, and for a belt with which he girds himself continually. Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers, and to those who speak evil against my person.”

Holy God, yes, sovereignly provides for His faithful followers His divine covering and unending watchcare, but to the ‘religiously robed, best-effort’ folks, Holy God allows their own cursings, their own adversarial leanings to God’s truth, to become the power and influence as their ‘reward’ – they end up rewarded with their own bitterness, their own indictment of the faithful, exercising for themselves the button releasing God’s judgment! They ‘presume’ in their hearts and minds to know more than God about spiritual matters.

And, Holy God WILL reserve punishment for the day of judgment as the “self-robed crowd” lives on thinking they’ve overcome ‘warped beliefs’ to live religiously independent of eternal truth! In 2 Peter 2:1-11 Peter wrote: “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom THE WAY OF TRUTH WILL BE BLASPHEMED. By covetousness they will EXPLOIT YOU with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) – then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WALK ACCORDING TO THE FLESH IN THE LUST OF UNCLEANNESS AND DESPISE AUTHORITY. They are PRESUMPTUOUS, SELF-WILLED. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation before the Lord.”

The thing I want you so aware of is that what we’ve just read is about ‘people’ assuming leadership roles in local churches when their intent is to promote ‘fallen flesh’, not honor King Jesus! They USE ‘great swelling words of emptiness,’ they ‘allure people in the church’ through the lusts of the flesh, they’ll despise faithful preachers who faithfully preach the truth, they’ll walk excusing their worldly ways as they ‘walk according to their sin natures in the lust of uncleanness’, easily recognizable because they “despise authority.”

Their outward character is “show-off-ish”, solidly presumptuous, strongly self-willed, spiritually brute-beasts, and more likely than not strongly opposing what they can’t explain biblically, because they are in the perishing process of their own corruption, their own unrighteousness, and covered inwardly with spots and blemishes they can’t explain, eyes full of adultery, wills unceasingly yielded to the sin nature, covetous, accursed, loving their sinful ways!

Are you aware of empty hearts, empty minds, empty words, as they seek to lure the ‘border-line’ disciple into their world of error? Are you truly aware of those around you, yes, in some church fellowships, who are living in ‘error’, slaves of corruption, in bondage but they don’t even know it, though they are just like ‘sick dogs’ who go back to feast on their vomit? It’s a shame that many in the church are unaware of the “perdition of ungodly men” who too often, in some churches, promote what Satan stands for and approves of!

The beloved John was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write his gospel and his letters, and in 1 John 3:7 he wrote: “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, JUST AS JESUS IS RIGHTEOUS.” If so, in Christ are you walking “righteously” before the Lord? And, in your world of daily living are you releasing the Indwelling Christ or the “best religious devotion a man can muster up”?

“Religious robes of best efforts”? Have you any awareness and awakenings of the “do-gooders”, the “try-your-best-crowd”, the “strong debaters of self-justification in their ‘spiritual assemblies’(?)”, the “church attender who thrives on “self-justification” as he/she tries his/her best”, or the “religious elite”, like in Jesus’day when He confronted the religious ‘elite’ of Pharisaism or Judaism, experts at strict observance of temple practices, never understanding Christ’s desire to BE the Holy Presence within their personal temples, when in John 8 upon their response that they were Abraham’s children, Jesus said, in Verses 39-47, “IF you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.

Then they said to Him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father – God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, AND THE DESIRES OF YOUR FATHER YOU WANT TO DO.

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

“Religious robes of best efforts” OR “Clothed in the righteousness of Christ”? In 2 Peter 1:1-4 Peter wrote: “To those who have obtained LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH with us BY the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, AS HIS DIVINE POWER HAS GIVEN TO US ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue (manmade glory, manmade 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.”

Walking in God’s presence one becomes a “partaker of His divine nature”! Walking in God’s presence in Christ one escapes the corruption that is in the world through lust! Walking in God’s presence in and through the Indwelling Christ who is our ‘hope of glory’, we ARE BEING TRANSFORMED BY THE HOLY WORD AND HOLY SPIRIT, as the Word and the Spirit always has and always will honor Christ Jesus, the Sovereignly-appointed Savior and Lord of Holy God’s eternal Kingdom!

But are you aware or alerted to the sad fact that one, religiously, can live with inclinations without ever appropriating the promises of God through Christ? Are you aware there can be ‘religious thoughts’ without Spirit-transformation? Has it dawned on you yet that there can be argumentation with God without acceptance by God? Are you aware of “professional theories” without accepting His perfecting Truth? How many have you witnessed in your own spiritual journey who walk with you having a ‘spiritual thirst’ but no desire for the “Living Water”? I heard Senator John McCain speaking after his surgery encouraging U.S. senators to leave “Tribal politics and get back to the U.S. Constitution”, and I said to myself, “When will ‘professional religionists’ get back to Christ, the only hope of the manifestation of the glory of God in our needy world?”

Is this why Peter continued his anointed word in 2 Peter, saying in 2 Peter 3:17-18, “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, BEWARE lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, BEING LED AWAY WITH THE ERROR OF THE WICKED; but grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

In Matthew 13 Christ Jesus had spoken to “great multitudes who were gathered to Him”, explaining “The Parable of the Sower”, and in Verse 10 the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Verses 11-16 tells us Christ Jesus’ explanation of speaking with parables! Jesus said: “Because it has BEEN GIVEN TO YOU (TRUE DISCIPLES!) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (the crowd out and up for its own religious leanings!) it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance; (Does your heart overflow with joy for what has so far been revealed, but you long for, hold onto, and press in for more and more unveiling of eternal Truths?); but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.(Are there those who ‘limit’ what they want to know about God’s plan and purpose for their lives, yes, limitations as to how far they are willing to go with Him?).

Therefore, Jesus says, I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: (BECAUSE they possess no desire for LIVING TRUTH because of eyes willfully closed and cold, dull hearts to “Amazing Grace” since “grit” fits them better than Christ Jesus and His grace!),

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, SO THAT I (The Living, Merciful God) should heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes (repentant, broken, needy disciples!) for THEY SEE, and your ears FOR THEY HEAR; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Are YOU a ‘hearer who hears but does not obey’ or a hearer who says: “Yes, Lord, what would YOU have me to do?” Are you living as a “professing disciple” who “does the ‘best’ I can”, blocking God’s flow of the River of Life in Christ, or a repentant, trusting, surrendered, yielded life to Christ alone, His Resurrection Life, His Resurrection Hope, and His Resurrection Power? “Christ alone, my hope of glory”!! The path of radical change is the life that rests in the radical life of Christ who embraced the Cross as God’s will for His life! Have you truly chosen “this day” WHOM you will serve?