SO YOU WANT TO CONCEAL YOUR SECRET SINS, YOUR SECRET LIFE?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.  Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” -Matthew 23: 27-28

The word “whitewash” absolutely fascinates me.  It means to cover up, to camouflage, to gloss over, and to sugarcoat.  Whitewash is also a form of paint that is made up of slaked lime powder, chalk, water, and other ingredients.  The ornate buildings found in a cemetery are whitewashed tombs.  The whitewashed tombs are filled the bones of those who have passed on.

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus likens the Religious Leaders and the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs.  In other words, they looked wonderful in the outer appearance. They followed the law in the presence of people. They were dressed beautifully in their long flowing robes. They followed all the religious ceremonial laws, and yet they were practicing a life of sin behind closed doors. They had hidden sins, and Jesus was calling them out on their hidden sins. So whatever sins they believed they had concealed were exposed by Jesus.

Isaiah 29:15 states, “‘Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say, ‘Who sees us?’ and, ‘Who knows us?’” The people of Jerusalem were concealing their evil behavior. Having to conceal their wicked behavior clearly indicated they knew they had sinned. They kept continuing to practice a life of sin. They convinced themselves to believe that God did not see or know what they were doing. The people of Jerusalem also were trying to conceal their true intentions and motives from the Lord. Before we are harsh in our thinking towards the people of Jerusalem, we are not that much different in today’s churches.

“Those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD” is a description of one who attempts to cover and conceal his or her actual intentions for evil.  Outwardly, they come across as sincere. Their appearance may look good.  Their speech may be influential and convincing.  They may even sound credible. The problem is that those who conceal their sins or their double life are filled with dead men bones.  Their fake displays of piety, going through the motions, and presenting themselves as men or women of God are the whitewashing of the tombs that contain the bones of dead men. Inwardly, the foulness of pretense and hypocrisy is the stench behind the doors of the whitewashed tombs (evildoers, hypocrites, deceivers, liars, and the like). We have the capability of deceiving ourselves that God does not see or know what we are doing in secret when no one is looking. When we try to conceal sin of any kind, we are nothing but whitewashed tombs filled with a stench that rises up to the nostrils of God who sees and knows the sins we commit.

It is essential to understand that we cannot conceal sin. God is El Roi (The God Who Sees Me). Proverbs 8:13 states this, “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” Before God, everything is laid out. Nothing is hidden.  Everything is stripped bare. We should never be so foolish to believe we can conceal any sin from God. 

Linda A. Knowles

JEALOUS? GOD?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:29

“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire,

a jealous God.”

Deuteronomy 4:24

When we see verses stated more than one time in the Scriptures, it should make us stop and reflect.

In Deuteronomy 4:24, we see God is called a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29 echoes the same words as Deuteronomy 4:24. In Deuteronomy 4:24, the word “consuming” comes from the transliteration of the Hebrew word “akal.” The word “consuming” means to devour, burn up, devastate, ravage. In Hebrews 12:29, the transliteration of the Greek word is “katanaliskō” which means to be consumed, to burn up. Sin, wickedness, evil, and all those who are defiant against God will be burned up. He will show forth His glory like a consuming fire. These verses cannot be ignored as they are somber warnings against idolatry and the judgment soon to come.

What God showed me is not an image I can easily forget. When God had revealed to me Himself as a consuming fire, He showed me He is purging evil and wickedness and cleansing everything with His fire. He showed me destruction awaits those who oppose and rebel against Him.

It is a horrifying thought to be ravaged by fire or burned up. Yet, while the words of these verses are comforting to those who are believers, these words are downright terrifying to those who are practicing a life of sin. There is no comfort or peace for those who are not living a life surrendered to God.

“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Yes, God is jealous for us, and He burns with passion and zeal for His children. He desires to communicate and have a relationship with us. He is the consuming fire who loves His children far more than we could ever imagine. The problem is when we are not serving Him, we are serving and living for self. Serving and living for self is pushing God out of His rightful place in our lives. When we push God out of His rightful place in our lives, we break the first commandment. “You must not have any other God but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any king or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods…” Exodus 20:3-5.

The nature and character of God is HOLINESS. The God we see in the Old Testament is the same God we see in the New Testament. God has not changed. His commands have not changed. We are commanded to be holy, and “…He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15-16. We are called to holiness. Therefore, as His children, we follow God’s instructions on how to be holy. We cannot be holy and take on the beliefs and philosophies of the world. Being holy and being worldly do not mix. We are either holy or worldly; we cannot be both.

God is the fire that refines. He is the One who is able to cleanse the stains of sin and shame. He is able to make a person complete. Because He is holy, He calls for repentance. If we do not have a holy fear of God and who He is, no act of worship will be acceptable to Him. If we do not have reverence for God, then we will not treat God with honor.

Linda A. Knowles

ARTICLE: Sinning Against God AND Your Body

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” -1 Corinthians 6:18 KJV

“Flee sexual immorality.  Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” -1 Corinthians 6:18 BSB

The moment we accepted Jesus Christ and received Him into our life to be Lord, the moment we believed the truth of God’s Word (John 1:12), we became one with God. We were joined with the Lord, and we became one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). In Christ, we are a new creation, and since we have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), we are to glorify God, bringing Him honor in all we say and do because WE ARE UNITED AS ONE WITH GOD and His Holy Spirit dwells within us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the BASIC LAW of the TEMPLE is holiness.

“This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.” -Ezekiel 43:12KJV

Back in the Bible times, the physical temple had the outer courts (“Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement,” Ezekiel 40:17KJV.), and then inside the temple were two rooms: (1) The Holy Place and (2) The Most Holy Place, which we can see in Hebrews 9:1-5NLT, which says, “That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place.  Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place.  In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement…”

Our soul belongs to God, and there is nothing that is worth forfeiting your soul to. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his soul?  Please understand your soul is the seat of emotions, and out of your heart flows all the issues of life, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life,” (Proverbs 14:23KJV).  The ESV states it this way, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”  Guard your heart.  Maintain your purity before God, walking uprightly before Him.  Ask yourself this: “Is there anything worth losing my soul for?”

Understanding The Phrases “COMMITTETH FORNICATION” and “SINNING SEXUALLY.”

Look again at the phrasing of this verse in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”  The phrase “sins sexually” is transliterated from the Greek word “porneuon” which means (1) to fornicate (the KJV says the phrase “committeth fornication”); (2) to practice idolatry; and (3) then the first part of that word “porne” means to act like a prostitute, indulge in unlawful lust or the practice of.

Committing fornication is simply stated as “sinning sexually.”  Sex without the commitment of marriage is not only a sin but it is also cheap, tawdry, and crude.  Sex without the commitment of marriage is emotionally exhausting and can make a person feel wiped out.  Sexual sin of any kind is sinning sexually against God and your own body.  Sinning sexually is completely and undeniably against God’s design for the gift of sex.  Within the context of marriage between a husband and wife, sex is pleasurable and enjoyable with the commitment of the blending of true love and marriage with Christ as the Solid Foundation upon which that marriage is built.  Within the context of marriage between a husband and wife, sex is fulfilling and doesn’t drain emotionally because of the intimacy shared between the man and the woman who have now become one flesh in the eyes of God, a Christ-centered marriage.  In the two becoming one, the consummation is creating a bonding in their commitment to each other, causing the intimacy between husband and wife to deepen and increase. 

Here is a truly sobering thought: Since it is clear that the two become one flesh, that means if one is sinning sexually, then anyone he/she is having sex with, he/she is becoming one with every single person he/she gives his/her body to.  That is both disturbing and a sin in the eyes of God.  It is called fornication, sexual sin, and wickedness.  There has to be a noticeable difference between the children of God and those who are unbelievers.  When the children of God stray and take on the world’s philosophies and vain imaginations, this angers God.  It does not please Him at all.  First Thessalonians 4:3-8BSB states, “For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God; and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.  For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.  Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.”  If you are committing sexual sin with someone you have no intention of marrying, you are having sex with someone’s else’s future spouse.  When you commit acts of cheating and acts of adultery, God is going to avenge all such acts.  You will not be able to escape the consequences of your actions.

We are called to be holy.  Being made holy is being set apart.  We are a holy nation, a peculiar people, and a royal priesthood.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord is working in you to shape and mold you into a man or woman of God.  The transformation begins on the inside.  Your love and obedience to God is a direct result of an inward transformation that takes place in your heart and mind, from your innermost being.

When you are committing sexual sin, you are giving up full control of your entire body over to the lusts of your flesh and allowing yourself to indulge in what God has called sin (“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous,” Hebrews 13:4ESV).  You are giving complete control of your body not just to your lustful thoughts but also to the one you are having sex with.  When you are giving complete control of your body to sexual sin to the one you are sinning with, you have made yourself and the one you’re engaging with a god; you are practicing idolatry.  As previously stated one of the meanings of the Greek word is “to practice idolatry.”

“I can’t help myself.”  Yes, you can.  When you are truly a child of God, the Holy Spirit residing in you gives you all the power you need to walk in purity and holiness before God.  When you are truly a child of God, you will allow the Holy Spirit to instruct you into all truth, and out of your love for Jesus, you will obey the commandments set out in the Word of God.  In Romans 8:12, we are told we are under no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do.  You have God and all of the weapons He has supplied you with to combat every thought that goes against God and His Word.  You have God and all of the weapons He has supplied you with to resist temptation and flee from any kind of sin that would try to take you down.  Those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit are not controlled by their flesh, “You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you,” (Romans 8:9-11 BSB).  The Holy Spirit is your Helper, and when you are tempted, God provides a way of escape so that you are able to stand against the temptation.  “So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it, (1 Corinthians 10:12-13BSB).  Please never think you are so strong that you will stay in temptation’s path if it comes your way.  To think you are so strong that you cannot fall into sexual sin is foolish thinking, and if you believe you cannot fall into sexual sin, then you have been deceived and taken in.  The Apostle Paul made it very clear in his warning to believers, “SO THE ONE WHO THINKS HE IS STANDING FIRM SHOULD BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL.”  This is a warning.  EVERY SINGLE PERSON is capable of falling into sexual sin, and if believe you are not capable of falling into any kind of sexual sin, then that is pride.  When temptation for sexual sin crosses your path, the only victory to overcome falling into sexual sin is to “Flee sexual immorality.”  You need to run from it.

LIVING SACRIFICES.  Since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, since God says be holy for He is holy, it is necessary to remember in all we say and do that we are worshiping God.  According to Romans 12:1KJV, the Apostle Paul had this to say, “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.”  Therefore, not only is your body the temple of the Holy Spirit but you are also a living sacrifice unto God that is to never be defiled.  Inside of you is the presence of the Lord which is the Holy Spirit dwelling in you.  In John 14:17ESV, it states, “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”The Holy Spirit cannot tolerate defilement of the temple.  God is NEVER pleased when we defile the temple of the Holy Spirit (YOUR BODY) because you are dishonoring God and sinning against Him by idolizing yourself and surrendering control of your heart and soul to another, partaking in sexual sin.  You are sinning against your body by giving up your self-respect and letting other people who you are committing sexual sin with control you.  You are sinning against your own body by allowing another to defile you, not knowing if the other person has some disease or health issue that will affect you later on.  There is no victory when you are constantly falling into sexual sin.

Let me put it another way: A Man and a Woman get married and they consummate the marriage.  The consummation is the two becoming one flesh.  They are now joined together.  That consummation is the ultimate and complete expression of the commitment of love between a husband and a wife.  They are now united as one; the two became one flesh.  The married couple shares a mutual love, respect, and honor to each other.  With Christ, you were spiritually joined together, one in spirit with Him, you have become one with Him and have experienced is everlasting love and unwavering commitment to you as a child of the Most High God.  As a result of your love for Christ, you obey His commands, spend time in the Scriptures learning of God’s laws and commands, communing and communicating with God, and walk in wholehearted devotion to Christ.  You are joined as one with the Spirit of the Living God who has taken up residence within you.  Let’s look at these verses found in 1 Corinthians 6:15-17NLT, “Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, ‘The two are united into one.’ But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.”  If you are controlled and consumed by lust, then you are controlled and consumed by sexual sin.  Those thoughts need to be brought under control.  Do not allow yourself to be consumed and controlled with lust.  If you allow yourself to be controlled by unbridled passion, you will find yourself in spiritual quicksand.  When you give yourself over to the control of sexual sin (just in case anyone is wondering, this also includes the sexual sin of masturbation which begins with uncontrolled lustful thoughts), you are bringing dishonor and defilement to the temple of the Holy Spirit because you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, bought with the price of the blood of Jesus shed for you.  Verses 18-20 continues on to say “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.  Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

WHO CAN CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD?  In Psalm 24:3NLT, David asked two questions: “Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?  Who may stand in his holy place?”  And this is the answer is given to us in verses 4-6, “Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.  They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.  Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.” 

Did you know that not a hint of sexual immorality or impurity is to be found amongst those who are true children of God?  In Ephesians 5:1-5BSB, it states, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.  But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”  Note the words, “there must not be even a hint.”  There should be nothing at all that we demonstrate that shows impurity amongst us.  We are to be fragrant living sacrifices to the Lord, bringing Him glory and honor in what we do and say.  We are to be imitators of God, to be perfect as He is perfect, to be holy as He is holy.  We are to be faithful to God, loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Our allegiance is first and foremost always to God.  He is faithful, and we are to “be imitators of God.”  Therefore, we honor God with our bodies.

You cannot claim to be a child of God and be chasing the lusts of the flesh at the same time.  You are either a child of the devil or a child of God.  You are either of the world or you are of God.  Which are you?  You cannot have it both ways.  Either you are walking in purity before God or you’re not.  There is no neutral ground.  Every other sin committed is outside the body, but sinning sexually is sinning against your own body and sinning against God.  It was King David, after Nathan the prophet confronted him, repented before God and confessed his sin of adultery.  This is what King David said, “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just,” (Psalm 51:4NLT).  God did forgive King David, and he was called a man after God’s own heart.  However, King David still reaped a whirlwind of consequences from his act of adultery with Bathsheba.  God does not allow sin to go unpunished.  Will God forgive you of sexual sin if you repent?  Yes, God will forgive you when you come before Him in sincere and genuine repentance with a humble heart.

PRAYER:  PSALM 51 (A Psalm of King David) “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.  Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.  Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.  For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.  Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.  You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.  For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.  But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.  Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice.  Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt.  Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.  Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spiritfrom me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.  Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.  Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.  Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.  You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.  You do not want a burnt offering.  The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.  Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.  Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.”

Linda A. Knowles

Executive Director at Thread of Hope, Inc.

www.threadofhope.org

About Those Facebook Self-Appointed Prophets

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

I make NO apologies for what I am going to say.

What kind of mumbo jumbo generic hypnotic garbage are these self-proclaimed, self-anointed Facebook prophets prophesying?!

LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING TO THE SIMPLEMINDED WHO ARE BUYING INTO THIS GARBAGE: If you are living like the devil, God ain’t gonna bless your sorry self who is living a life of wickedness! Give me a break with the generic puffed-up wealth toting prophecies! Where are the messages from these so-called prophets preaching repentance, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of the blood of Jesus, and the story of Redemption?! Oh, wait! No, no, that is not what those who CLAIM to have a relationship with God want to hear. People would rather hear lies than hearing that disobedience does not bring about the blessings of God! (Isaiah 30:10)! No one wants to hear the truth: Living a life of sin brings destruction and sets you on the broad road to destruction. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

No, I’m not keeping my mouth shut on this. Overflow and increase falling into your bank account? Your income will double this year? February is your month of favor?!!! What a load of codswallop!

The Bible is quite clear in Psalm 5:12 when it tells us that the Lord blesses the righteous and His favor is their shield; therefore, favor doesn’t have to locate you if you are truly a child of the Living God. According to Psalm 5:12, you already have favor because His favor is your shield. The Bible is also quite clear when it states the poor in spirit are blessed (Matthew 5:3), and it is because the poor in spirit are those who realize they are in need of God.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 makes it clear, “For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Most of the so-called prophecies of Facebook push money, income, and wealth higher than God (Matthew 6:23, Luke 16:13), and yes, I have read the so-called prophecies from these so-called prophets. God lavishes those who truly love Him with His divine favor and grace (Deuteronomy 5:10, 1 John 3:1). These charlatans who have run amuck with false prophecies are greedy, self-serving, haughty, arrogant, and filled with pride (2 Peter 2:2-4). The truth does not give a flying fig about anyone’s feelings! God’s truth does NOT change.

I have no problem with people being used in the gift of prophecy.

What I do have a problem with is the false prophetic charlatans who would rather lead people straight to hell instead of telling them the truth. These charlatans are perverting the Word of God and they are lovers of self. In the Books of Jude and 2 Peter, these charlatans are called unthinking animals (Jude 1:10-19, 2 Peter 2:12).

Look at the book of Proverbs and observe carefully how things ended up for the simpletons, for those who are simpleminded. (“Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!”-Proverbs 14:15; “For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.” -Proverbs 1:32; “The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his own sin entangle him.” -Proverbs 5:22; “”How long, O simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?”)

God will not be and is NOT mocked.

(“For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” -Romans 16:18)

Don’t Be Rehoboam

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

King Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son, has flipped my brain inside out and upside down as I have been studying his life for the last two days.  Each verse got more interesting, but what King Rehoboam did scared the living daylights out of me.

“And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.  And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.  And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 12:1-4KJV)

I shook my head as I read this passage of Scripture.  It’s a little unnerving.  First thing to note is that in this particular verse Israel is in reference to Judah.  Second thing to note is King Rehoboam was very high in popularity at this time.  Not only was he popular but he had also made an attempt to serve God.  The Results:  Judah prospered.  We find this evidence in 2 Chronicles 11:17 (KJV), which states, “This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon.”

Rehoboam had success and was enjoying a time of blessing.  He and his kingdom were firmly established and made strong.  He was at the highest point in popularity and in power.  Then, we see a tragic turn of events.  In the time of blessing, Rehoboam “…forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.”  King Rehoboam committed two major sins: (1) He forsook the law of the Lord, and (2) He caused all Israel to sin because they followed his lead.  We can see Rehoboam’s sin didn’t just affect him; it affected all Israel.  When you are a leader, it is inevitable that people will follow you.  They look at your example, and eventually, you will see them modeling what you have modeled for them.  Any leadership role you play, you are held with a higher level of accountability by God.  How you lead those who follow your example will affect your standing in the eyes of God.  In this case, Israel took its leadership from Rehoboam and the whole nation forsook God’s law; they forgot about God and abandoned him.

There were consequences to them forsaking and abandoning God and His law.  We can see the results of their sin in verses 3-5 (KJV), which states, “With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.  And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.”

I think it’s safe to say God has His limits.  This verse, “…Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.”  I looked up the word “forsake” in the Hebrew Language.  The Hebrew word is “azab” which means “to loosen, to relinquish, to permit.”  When we decide to forsake or abandon God, we are letting go, giving up on God; when we decide to forsake or abandon God, we are voluntarily surrendering our claim to God being the One we follow.  There does come a time when God has had enough.  We don’t like being ignored or disrespected or pushed aside.  Can you imagine how God feels when we ignore, disrespect, or push Him aside?  He is your Creator, who has given you life.  It is not wise to push God aside or show Him any kind of disdain or indifference toward Him especially when God has lavished you with mercy and grace and has poured out His blessings upon you.

King Rehoboam and the people repented, and God saw the change of heart.  Sounds good, right?  Forgiveness doesn’t mean you will NOT suffer the consequences.  The consequences may not be as severe as they would have been if you didn’t repent.  Let’s look at verses 7-8 (KJV), which states, “And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.  Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”  What was their consequences for forsaking God and His law?  They would end up the servants to Shishak, King of Egypt.  By being the servants to Shishak, they would learn and know what it is like to be ruled by a man rather than being ruled by God.  The NLT phrases verse 8, this way, “But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”  Need I say more on that?

Shishak attacked Jerusalem and ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple as well as the palace.  Then, the gold shields which were made by King Solomon were stolen.  God didn’t spare Rehoboam, a king, from the consequences of his choices.  Do you think he would allow any of us to escape the consequences of our own individual actions and choices?  The problem is when you make something else the lord of your life, you become a slave to that object.  When you make a person the lord of your life, you become a slave to that person.  Whatever consumes you is what you are a slave to.

GOD DOES NOT AND WILL NOT SHARE HIS GLORY WITH ANOTHER.  You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will not share the same temple with another object or another person.  If you are backslidden, lukewarm, complacent, or lost God as your First Love, then you, being the temple of the Holy Spirit, will no longer be experiencing the Glory of God.  You, whom the Holy Spirit once resided in, will be Ichabod, meaning “The glory has departed from Israel.”  Do NOT grieve the Holy Spirit.  If you find yourself in any of these conditions, I strongly encourage you to repent and make things right with God.

CAN YOU DUPLICATE OR SUBSTITUTE ANYTHING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD?  NO, NEVER, CAN’T HAPPEN, IMPOSSIBLE.  Sure, you can try.  King Rehoboam tried to.  Look at verse 10-11, which states, “King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom.” 

I make no apologies for finding what Rehoboam did to be foolish.  He was trying to keep the former glory of the temple by using substitutes.  “King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace…”  He tried to keep the original appearance of the glory of the temple.  Rehoboam had the guards protecting bronze shields which were cheap, shoddy, and inexpensive.  He had substitutes to keep up the appearance of the former glory.  The temple no longer demonstrated a genuine display of the glory of the Temple, but it only gave a FAKE appearance of the former glory of the temple.  Remember everything was stolen from the temple.  Now all Rehoboam could use was substitutes. 

When you are no longer for God, when you are backslidden, when you are not in right relationship with God, if you have forsaken God, then the glory of God is not seen in you.  You can put on a performance or even display a picture of perfection, but that fact is, when you are FAKING, the fake display you are putting on will lack intensity, clarity, vividness, and the brightness that only the true glory of God has.  YOU CANNOT DUPLICATE THE GLORY OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE JUST LIKE REHOBOAM COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FORMER GLORY OF THE TEMPLE.  Just because you put on a picture of perfection does NOT mean that God is going to accept you and your behavior.  Nothing you do will substitute the presence and glory of God in your life.  Either you are for God or against Him.  You are either serving God or not.  Nothing can replace God and His glory shining in your life.

The way Rehoboam ended his reign and his life was in a very sad state, “But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the LORD with all his heart.”

We can all learn from Rehoboam.  First, when you go through good times and times of blessings, guard your heart.  Hold your faith closely, and cling to God.  Cling to the truths of God.  Second, when you repent and humble yourself before God, He will NOT reject a broken spirit and a repentant heart.  Third, be steadfast in your love for God and make your face like flint determined to do His will.

As we live life, let us live in such a way before God, that when we stand before Him to give an account for how we lived our lives, we will hear the words, “Well done, My Good and Faithful Servant.

Much Love To You All,

Linda A. Knowles

Self-Control Even In Speech

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” -Proverbs 21:23 NLT

Practice self-control even in speech. Not everything you are thinking and not everything you feel needs to be spoken. The problem with words is that once you have spoken, you will not be able to take those words back. Will your words edify or tear down? Remember out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

“The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.” (Matthew 12:35)

“Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.” (Proverbs 25:11)

Linda A. Knowles

Destruction or Success?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.” -Proverbs 12:3 NLT

The path of the wicked only leads to destruction.  The wicked continue to grow eviler, more contemptuous toward what is good and holy, and their hearts continue to harden.  Their deceptive words crush the spirit and they hate discipline. Their mouths spout foolishness.  They devise evil schemes.  Whatever success they do have is not permanent, and that temporal success costs them their integrity and honor.  That temporal success comes at the expense of their character. They are NOT successful according to God’s standards.

The godly, however, are successful by God’s standards.  They are deeply rooted in Christ and grounded in the Word of God.  They maintain their purity before God.  They walk in righteousness, and their words build up and encourage others.  The success they have gained in the sight of God and in living for Him is lasting because the godly live by God’s commands and laws; they walk uprightly before God, protecting truth, and keeping up their integrity. 

If you want true success that is lasting, then follow God’s ways and live by His standards. Obeying God and doing things His way will always bring about blessings.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, every good and perfect gift is from You.  You are my Lord and my God, and my desire is to live for you.  Remind me that true success comes by living for You and following Your laws and Your commands.  True freedom is found in surrendering to Your will and Your ways, walking in obedience to you.  Help me to maintain my integrity and to continue walking uprightly before You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

Love Is Truth

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
“What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.”
Isaiah 5:20 NLT

Divination/Witchcraft: Spellbound Captivation (Part 1) Introduction

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

NO OTHER GOD 1Divination has permeated societies and cultures around the globe.  It has filled our schools, homes, businesses, churches, commercials, television shows, media, movies, books, literature, video games, and the internet.  Divination has disguised itself in what seems to be the most innocent to what is obviously blatant.  It has filtered itself through words of manipulation and deceit as well as in vain repetition.

Divination is fathered by none other than Lucifer, the devil himself, called Satan, the serpent of old, and the adversary to your soul.  In 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV), it states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” and Jesus Christ Himself called Satan the Father of Lies as we can see in John 8:44 (GW) which states, “You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he’s doing what comes naturally to him. He’s a liar and the father of lies.”

Satan will never show you sin in its actual form because Satan knows if you knew what sin looked like, there is no way you would go near it.  He will dress the sin to look fun, innocent, tantalizing, and/or seductive which will leave you wanting more if you are not paying attention and are unable to discern what is good and what is evil.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength,” (Deuteronomy 6:5).  THE FACT IS SATAN WILL LIE TO YOU.  If you are involved in any form of divination and call yourself a Christian, understand one thing:  divination removes God from the throne of your life;  And if God is not sitting on the throne of your life, there is only one other sitting on that throne.  You cannot serve God and Satan at the same time. They do not share the same throne nor do they share the same kingdom.  Understand divination, no matter what form you are entertaining, MUST be repented of and you must turn away from all divination, not just portions of it.

You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the basic law of the temple is holiness.  Do not defile your temple by entertaining that which is displeasing to God.

Linda A. Knowles

Coming Next:  Divination/Witchcraft: (Part 2a) Spellbound Captivation Vain Repetition & Meditation…

ZACCHAEUS DID WHAT HE HAD TO

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“He entered Jericho and was passing through.  And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’  So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'” (Luke 19:1-10)

REPENTANCE 8

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, and he did whatever he had to in order to see Jesus.  In his case, he ran ahead and climbed a tree because Jesus was soon to pass by that way.  Jesus took notice of Zacchaeus and his heart because Jesus knew the heart of man. 

WHY DID JESUS WANT TO GO TO ZACCHAEUS’ HOME?

“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.  But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25)

No one had to tell Jesus what the heart of men was like.  He knew their thoughts and their ways.  While no one else sees the heart of another, Jesus did and still does.  Our Savior didn’t need to be told, and even in Jeremiah, the prophet noted what the heart of man is like: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  BUT Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ heart, and Jesus called out to Zacchaeus who was in the tree.  Zacchaeus HEARD JESUS CALL HIS NAME, PROMPTLY OBEYED JESUS, QUICKLY CAME DOWN FROM THE TREE and RECEIVED JESUS JOYFULLY because Jesus was coming to his house.  Zacchaeus wanted to hear what Jesus had to say and responded to Jesus’ message.  Note these words of the passage, “So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.”  Zacchaeus RECEIVED Jesus joyfully.  Because the message of Jesus made a difference in Zacchaeus’ life, we can see the result of Zacchaeus’ changed life and his repentance.  It took an act of genuine repentance on Zacchaeus’ part.  Zacchaeus not only received Jesus, he also turned from his wicked ways, made restitution giving back more than he took in cheating people, and had a change of thinking.  In that act of repentance and in the act of Zacchaeus changing his wicked ways, Jesus brought salvation to Zacchaeus and his household.  The evidence of Zacchaeus being saved was demonstrated.  How you live before God matters.

REPENTANCE 7Claiming to have a relationship with Christ is more than words.  Having a relationship with Christ means daily communing with Him, and loving Christ means obeying His commands, being faithful and loyal to Him no matter what the cost.  Having a relationship with Christ means having a heart of contrition and repentance, receiving Jesus and His message, turning from your wicked ways, and changing the way you think so that your thoughts are aligned with God’s thoughts.  Having a relationship with Christ is about laying down your will and your ways and walking in the ways of God, following the example Christ has set for you.  Having a relationship with Christ means laying down your life for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, concerning yourself with mercy and justice and faithfulness, and walking humbly before Him.  Saying you follow Christ without your life matching your words means nothing.

While you have breath there is a chance for repentance, changing your ways, and changing the way you think.  Take an example from Zacchaeus and his attitude before Jesus.  Zacchaeus didn’t just speak words of contrition.  His words of contrition were backed up by his actions, changing his ways and turning from his wickedness, gladly receiving the message of Christ.

“Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.  What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.’” (Mark 8:34-38)

REPENTANCE 2One day each individual will have to stand before the God the Creator of all things, and each will be called into account for every idle word spoken and every action taken.   So what will you do with what you know about Jesus?  Who do you say Jesus is?  Will you accept or reject Him?  What you do with Christ is a matter of spiritual life and death, and what you do with Christ will determine where you will spend life after death.  Don’t miss out on eternity with God by rejecting the only means of salvation God provided through His Son Jesus Christ.  Choose life with Christ.  Living a life truly sold out in devotion to Christ is worth it.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles