WILL YOU STILL STAND FOR CHRIST?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

WILL YOU STILL STAND FOR CHRIST?

By Linda A. Knowles

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Matthew 10:32-34

No matter who we are or what we do, what we believe about who Christ is and what He has done on Calvary matters. At some point, we are each faced with either choosing Christ and continuing on with Him OR we will choose someone or something else over Christ. Christ has done for us what no one else can do. There is nothing that will ever be able to fill the place in our heart and lives that He alone can fill.

No one wants to believe that a family member hates them or will go against them, but it does happen. Our stance in Christ may be the very thing that causes them to go against us. Our position in Christ may be the very thing that causes them to oppose us at any given opportunity. They can mock us and scoff at us. They can even work at trying to get us to change our beliefs about God and what God calls good and what He calls evil. Can family bring us to the point where we will have to choose between them or Christ? Yes. Not everyone will accept Christ. Not everyone is interested in following the ways of God. Not everyone will accept Christ as being Lord and Savior. Not everyone will believe all He did for us at Calvary. Not everyone in our families will be interested in hearing about Christ or about hearing what the Word of God says about living a life sold out to God. Unfortunately, this is altogether sad, but true.

For those who choose to stand for truth, even if it means losing beloved family members, there is hope. Our hope is found in Christ alone, and this is our assurance: Christ is with us until the very end. If we are not ashamed of Him before men, He will not be ashamed of us before our Heavenly Father. For those who choose Christ, even if it means we will be standing alone, the Lord is upholding us in His righteous right hand, and He has not forsaken us. For those who do not deny Christ and love Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength: to them, they have eternal life because Christ, their Savior and Lord, lives within them, and they will be living life with an abundance of blessings from the Lord.

Will you take a stand even if it means you are standing alone? Will you stand for what is right and holy even in the midst of family members who oppose and betray you? Each of us must ask ourselves these questions.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Thank You for choosing me to live for You that I might produce lasting fruit for Your Kingdom. Lord, help me to always walk upright before You, keeping my eyes fixed on the prize before me. Help me to keep my eyes focused on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my Faith. Strengthen me. Guide me and teach me all of Your ways. Thank You for saving and rescuing me. Father, help me to remain strong even though family members may come against me, though they may oppose me. Your approval of me, Abba, is the only thing that matters, not the applause of men. Instruct me as I walk along this narrow path and help me not to slip to the wayside. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Fearful Thing

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Hebrews 10:31 KJV

If any verse in the Scriptures makes me shudder, it’s this verse, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Some translations say, “dreadful thing,” “terrible thing,” “terrifying thing,” and then one translation says, “fearful and terrifying thing.” God is the Almighty, the Omnipotent One (Revelation 1:8, 15:3, 19:6). God does NOT play games (Leviticus 10:2, 1 Chronicles 13:10, Psalm 50:3).

What is so terrifying about falling into the hands of the Living God? Because this verse is speaking of judgment. God is awesome, and He is holy. His righteousness is pure. The Lord warns us of sin and the consequences (Romans 6:23). He warns us what happens when we do not turn from our evil and wicked ways (Luke 13:3, Romans 2:5). By warning us, God is granting us mercy. By giving us a chance to repent, He is demonstrating His longsuffering and patience towards us; the Lord does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). Through the Scriptures, we can see He is calling people to repentance (Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19). When someone sneers arrogantly at the Holy Spirit, when someone mocks or reviles the Holy Spirit and shows complete and utter contempt for the Holy Spirit, they are severing themselves from the Holy Spirit. In other words, they have broken themselves off from the Holy Spirit and they are unable to know the prompting of the Holy Spirit and His leading. It’s the point of no return (Deuteronomy 28:15, Isaiah 63:10). When someone falls into the hand of the Living God, at this point, is where they discover how wrong they are, but it’s too late. Judas is a great example of this. Judas betrayed Christ, and by the time, he realized how wrong he was, it was too late for him (John 13:21-30). Falling into the hands of the Living God will be frightening for the one who has rejected and scorned the Holy Spirit and committed the outright rejection of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-32, Hebrews 10:28-29). The true children of the Living God do not need to worry about facing God in judgment. Those who are not living lives that practice sin will be able to stand before God.

“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God,” (1 John 3:7-10 NLT).

“In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like him. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us,” (1 John 4:17-19 BSB).

Linda A. Knowles

CARSON’S NIGHTLY DANCE

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“…behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

-Numbers 32:23 (KJV)

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CARSON’S NIGHTLY DANCE

Written By Linda A. Knowles

June 2020

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Carson came home at 4 a.m.

And Emily wondered where he had been

when she came out of her room,

saw him sitting on the steps

and she called out to him, “Dad.”

She wondered what he was doing

and could only assume it was bad.

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She said he wouldn’t look at her,

His guilt she would have seen,

Who was he with at night after 10:15 p.m.,

especially when Lillith, his wife, turned her head,

only to discover he wasn’t next to her in bed.

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He doesn’t seem to understand;

Emily kept hearing Lillith cry,

But Darby saw Lillith’s tears,

her trembling with every heavy sigh.

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Emily wanted to know does he have another kid?

Maybe a third child that he hid?

Carson forgot how to tell the truth.

He just kept on lying.

He doesn’t seem to understand;

his wife is always crying.

*

He needs to man up,

and tell the truth,

That he’s been reckless

and far too loose.

BEFORE You Turn Your Life Into A Mess

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

King

“Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered. Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.  Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, ‘Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!'” -1 Kings 1:49-51

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King David was very old, unable to keep warm, and Abishag was taking care of him.  It was also around this time, Adonijah had taken it upon himself to begin boasting, “I will make myself king!”  Making a claim to the throne was an act of treason and was never taken lightly.  Adonijah got greedy, craving the power and wealth, and Kingship, and he made himself king when it was not his place to do so nor did he have the authority to do so.  Adonijah gathered together chariots, charioteers, and recruited 50 men to run in front of him (1 Kings 1:5). Adonijah then went further by having the best animals sacrificed, inviting his brothers, the other sons of King David, and all of the royal officials throughout Judah.  Adonijah had two people helping him become king as shown in 1 Kings 1:7-8(NLT), “Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah.”
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Adonijah did things HIS way, not God’s way.
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Can you understand the magnitude of the disaster Adonijah’s life was about to become? He commits an act of treason by claiming the throne which did not belong to him, betraying his own father.  He then proclaims and declares himself as king, going against King David who was still on the throne, appointing himself.  Then he finalizes it with a celebration.  However, Adonijah’s evil schemes were exposed, and it would cost him his life unless the King decided to have mercy on him.
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Nathan the Prophet went before King David when Bathsheba told him what was going on.  Adonijah’s act of treason had been found out and reported to King David who then immediately made his decree (1 Kings 1:33-35), “the king said to them, ‘Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”
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Treason was punishable by death.  Simply put, by Adonijah’s foolishness in having to do things his way because his heart was not pure before God, he could now be put to death for treason.  He may have been King David’s son, but being King David’s son did not exempt him from the death penalty for the act of treason. 
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Had Adonijah sought God’s counsel before acting out and speaking prematurely, he could have avoided the disaster he made out of his life.
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REFLECTION:  We, at times, do things that we think we will not be caught doing, but that’s not the case. God sees everything we do and hears everything we say. There is no escaping His presence. Eventually, what is done in the dark comes into the light. He is the God who sees all, and everything is exposed before Him.

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“Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered. Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar. Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, ‘Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!’ Solomon replied, ‘If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.’ So King Solomon summoned Adonijah, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed respectfully before King Solomon, who dismissed him, saying, ‘Go on home,'” (1 Kings 1:49-53NLT).
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Solomon had granted mercy by allowing Adonijah, giving him a reprieve by saying, “If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched.  But if he makes trouble, he will die.” Adonijah was given a chance to make things right.  Unfortunately, Adonijah fashioned another evil plot.  He committed another act of treason by requesting to have Abishag as his wife.  To ask for the King’s concubine was the equivalent to making claims to the throne (1 Kings 2:19-22).
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Adonijah had not learned his lesson the first time, and his sin made him pay far more than he ever expected to pay, “Then King Solomon made a vow before the Lord: ‘May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request. The Lord has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the Lord lives, Adonijah will die this very day!’ So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death,” (1 Kings 2:23-25).
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Grab on to the horns of the altar before going forward with your plans before you turn your life into a mess.  Seek God and consult God first.  Get His counsel.  Take a lesson from Adonijah’s evil scheme.  He didn’t grab on to the horns of the altar UNTIL he knew he had been caught.  Sometimes, a person has to get caught in the act before he/she gives up his/her sin.  Sometimes, a person has to get caught before he/she comes clean.  Just go before God and seek His face where you can find mercy.  Seek out God’s perfect will, His ways, and His counsel.  Consider what God wants rather than what you want.  When you do things your way, you will not succeed.  When you do things God’s way, you will be blessed, successful in your ways, and you will have peace of mind.  Before you go off on your own and do things your way, ask God what He wants you to do and how to do it.  Do not wait until after you’ve done things your way and created a disaster.
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PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, You are the God of All Wisdom and the God of All Truth.  I ask that You always help me to think before I act and speak.  Give me the understanding and insight to always look at the long-term consequences of my actions.  Empower me with the Spirit of the Living God to walk uprightly before You with a pure heart that I might bring honor to Your name.  Let me seek You out for Your counsel and give me your words to devour, guiding me in Your righteousness.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Linda A. Knowles

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” –Proverbs 4:23