Not Again?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“‘Am I the one they are hurting?’ asks the LORD. ‘Most of all they hurt themselves, to their shame.’”

Jeremiah 7:19

Idolatry… yes, once again we are confronted with the people of Judah who committed the act of idolatry. They were making sacrificial fires and cakes to Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility (Jeremiah 7:18); and they poured out liquid offerings before this false god.

Is it any wonder why God was infuriated? God was so infuriated He had told Jeremiah, “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you,” (Jeremiah 7:16). God was not looking the other way. He saw they were breaking His commandment not to have any other gods before Him. They were to love God with all their heart. Instead, the people of Judah had hearts filled with unfaithfulness towards God. In other words, they were being disloyal towards God.

In sinning against God, disregarding His commands, and turning away from Him, they were hurting themselves. Isaiah 59:2 says this: “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.” By committing the act of idolatry, they had committed spiritual suicide. They had cut themselves off from the Wellspring of Life, the Source of Strength, their Deliverer. They turned away from the Almighty Everlasting God.

Before we judge the people of Judah harshly, we need to look at ourselves. Are we being unfaithful to God in any way that would cause Him to look away from us?

Let’s go further. The purpose of the sacrificial system God put in place was not to please Him. The purpose of the sacrifices to be made would make the people recognize their sin, cause them to repent, and to refocus them back to living for God. The purpose of the sacrificial system was to spur the people on, to encourage them to take joy in obeying God.

In this passage of Scripture, the sacrifices the people of Judah were doing before God dishonored Him because they were doing the sacrifices out of duty and obligation, not out of love or wholehearted devotion to Him. They were making sacrifices to the goddess Ishtar while they were also making sacrifices to God. They had turned away from God, disregarding His command not to have any other gods before Him.

Remember this: God DOES NOT conform to our will and our ways. We MUST conform to what God wills and desires. God is to have first place in our lives. He will not share His glory with another, and He is not sharing first place in our lives with anything or anyone else. Either God is God in our life, or He is not.

Let’s choose Life by choosing God because He is life. He is the Giver of Life. He is the One who sustains us, and He alone is worthy of all the glory and praise. Think of all that He has done for You. Let’s bring honor to His name by walking in obedience after Him. Let’s walk uprightly with undivided hearts, giving Him first place in our lives. Whatever it is that we need to remove to progress in our relationship with Him, then let’s remove it and press on. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need,” Matthew 6:33.

Heavenly Father, You are still on the throne, and You are still sovereign. You are Lord, and You are Master. You are faithful and true. You know all things from beginning to the end. Nothing is hidden from Your sight, and everything is exposed before You. You, O God, truly know the depths of our heart. Father, when we walk away from You, we are only hurting ourselves. We are sorry for our wrongful ways and sinful attitudes before You. Lord, forgive us for our sins, and we ask that You cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let us not be as the people of Judah but let us remember that You alone must have first place in our lives and that You will not share Your glory with another. Remind us that we are to conform to Your will and to Your ways. Give us the wisdom and the insight to understand that sin separates us from You. Help us to understand that You do not tolerate sin, that we are to be holy as You are holy. Give us the strength to remain steadfast in You. Time is short, Father God, and the return of Christ is nearer than it ever has been. There is no time to straddle the fence, and You do not play games. Lord, let us be living sacrifices before You that are pleasing and honorable in Your sight. Use us to bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

EXACTLY WHAT CONSEQUENCES ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY FOR YOU TO DO IT YOUR WAY?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins,” (John 8:23-24). The Religious Leaders and Pharisees were committing the sin of unbelief.  They did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They did not trust in Jesus. Belief in Jesus is not just believing Jesus is who He says He is. Belief in Jesus also means trusting in Him. It means hoping in Him. It is believing with all our hearts that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It is believing that Jesus is the only means of salvation.

Unbelief is a sin just like lying or stealing or anything else that goes contrary to what God says. When there is unbelief, rebellion and hostility are present. When there is rebellion and hostility, darkness overtakes.  When darkness overtakes, there is absence of light. When there is absence of light, only ego and self are left.  When ego and self are left, man is his own god.  When man is his own god, then idolatry consumes.  When idolatry consumes, other lawless activities exist and thrive. When lawlessness exists and thrives, destruction is its wages.

What is sin? Sin is anything that goes completely contrary to the law of God. “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God,” (1 John 3:4). Sin is lawlessness. Lawlessness is iniquity and disobedience. Lawlessness is sin. If God says something is evil, it’s evil. When God says something is evil, we are not to do it. “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. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever,” (Isaiah 5:20-21).

What does sin do? “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him,” (Numbers 15:31). Sin cuts us off from God, separating us from Him. Sin will have us living in darkness. Sin will have us traveling down the broad road to destruction. It causes us to trample the Word of God and the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

What happens when we sin? When we sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit. We need to understand that the Holy Spirit dwelling within us (the very presence of Almighty God) is so holy, that He (the Holy Spirit) cannot tolerate sin in any degree. The Holy Spirit will only reside in a clean temple. “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body,” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). It is imperative that we understand the spiritual fatality of sin.  Those who practice sin are defiled. If we call evil good and good evil, sorrow awaits us.  If we call light dark and dark light, sorrow awaits us. When we submit and surrender to the culture and world we live in rather than submitting and surrendering to God, sorrow awaits us. Sin only brings death and destruction.

“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God,’” (Matthew 15:7-9). GOD REQUIRES OUR HEART. We have the tendency to look at someone’s outer appearance, but God does not look at the outer appearance. The Scriptures states, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart,’” (1 Samuel 16:7). The condition of our heart matters to God. The motives and intentions of one’s heart must be right in the eyes of God. The applause of men is all we will get if that is what we seek. All that matters is that we are seeking the Lord’s approval. If we don’t have God’s approval, nothing else will matter. We must have an undivided, unwavering heart in walking with the Lord. Walking with God and living for God is not for the faint of heart. Are we worshiping God in spirit and in truth? Are we loyal and faithful to God? Do we walk before God with an undivided heart? Are we in right relationship with God? When no one is looking, how are we living?

Previously I stated that we cannot be holy and worldly at the same time. Holiness and worldliness are in direct opposition to each other. If we are a friend of the world, then we make ourselves an enemy of God (James 4:4).  The Word declares, “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” (James 4:4-7). Do you we want to be an enemy of God or a friend of God? To be a friend of God, we cannot be a friend of the world. We cannot be practicing a life of sin. Each of us has one life to live. We either live for God or we do not. How we live is a matter of spiritual life or death. Are we living for the Lord? Do we know where we will spend eternity? There is only one life to live. So, how are we living this one life?

The Psalmist declared, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” To line up our thoughts with God’s thoughts, we need to study the Scriptures. To know how to live a pure and holy life, we need to study the Scriptures. It is within its pages we see the promises of God. Within its pages, we see the nature and character of God unfold before us. Within its pages, we receive encouragement, reproof, instruction, and hope. In the Scriptures, we find comfort. 

When there has been no inward transformation that results in living a life of righteousness and holiness before God, outward displays of sacrificial praise mean absolutely nothing. In other words, we could stand in church shouting “Praise the Lord!  Glory to God!” However, if we are not living pure and upright before the Lord, then our praise and worship is meaningless. God has made it very clear what He requires, “No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God,” (Micah 6:8). There is no break from walking in purity and holiness before God. If there is any sin in our life, we are to confess our sin before the Lord and repent with a contrite heart.  We are to turn from our wicked ways and never go back to those wicked ways. The Lord has told us what He requires. He is not impressed with shows of pomposity, pretense, and hypocrisy. Remember this:  “Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed,” (Proverbs 12:19). 

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

What is your god?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.” -Psalm 96:45 NKJV

What is your god?  Before you answer too quickly, think about it.  What is your god?  Sports, Cooking Shows, Cell Phone, Television, Internet, Social Media?  Is it seeking the approval of men, wealth, prestige, or popularity, or is it something else?  An idol is whatever takes God’s rightful place in our heart.  Whatever we have set all of our affections and adoration on, whatever sits upon the throne of our life is our idol.  God must come first in our lives.  God must be the one we seek to live for first (Matthew 6:33), the one we seek to please first, and it is His approval we must first gain (Galatians 1:10).

It is vital that each of us guard our heart because every decision, every action, whether or not we follow God stems from the heart. Why should we guard our heart so diligent? (1) Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Reference Luke 6:45;  (2) Your heart will determine the course of your life. Reference Proverbs 4:23;  (3) Your beliefs about God and who He is comes from the heart.  “But what does it say?  ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with your heart you believe in and justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved,” Romans 10:8-10; (4) Wherever your treasure is (what you value and cherish most, what you cling to) that is where your heart lies.

What is your god?  Each of us as individuals must decide if we will rid our lives of idolatry and repent for putting other things as first place in our lives.  We cannot be a friend of this world and be a friend of God.  To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God.  Nothing is worth losing your soul over.  The Lord is to be our First Love always.

“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?” (Mark 8:35-36)

In His Service,

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

Point of No Return

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Then the LORD said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go. If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.'” (Jeremiah 15:1-2 Berean Study Bible)

I did a doubletake reading this Scripture when I saw it said, “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before me, My heart would not go out to this people.” Moses and Samuel were both prophets of God. They were two of the greatest prophets amongst the other prophets we see in the Scriptures. The people of Judah had come to the point of no return.

Not even Moses or Samuel would have been able to intercede for the people of Judah at this point. Judah had abandoned God and traded God for the religious systems of men, had adopted the culture of pagan nations, and worshipping the idols/gods of the nations around them. Jeremiah had already been told “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me at the time of their disaster, ” (Jeremiah 11:14BSB).

Intercession for the people of Judah would have been rendered ineffective even if Moses and Samuel were standing before God interceding on their behalf. God wasn’t even listening to the people of Judah cry out to Him because they only cried out to Him when they were in trouble. God was angry and told Jeremiah, “Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them. Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster. Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.” (Jeremiah 11:11-13) They didn’t commune with God. They were committing the act of spiritual adultery, acting as prostitutes giving themselves away to every pagan deity and were told by God through the prophet Jeremiah “How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!” (Jeremiah 2:33BSB) They had no shame and could not even blush anymore. They flagrantly flaunted their spiritual adultery and their idolatry in the face of God.

GOD DOESN’T PLAY GAMES. God warned them over and over again, but the stench of their sin had risen up before Him, and they were only sorry they had gotten caught in their sin. They were not repentant for their sins of abandoning God and trading Him in for the religious systems of man, their spiritual adultery, and their idolatry.

This cannot get more sobering than this statement made to Jeremiah by God, “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me at the time of their disaster.” Will you allow yourself to be found in the same spiritual condition as the people of Judah? Would God tell someone not to pray for you?

THERE IS NO NEUTRAL GROUND WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING GOD. I will be saying that until there is no longer breath in my body. There is no neutral ground when it comes to serving the Lord. CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE.

We have been chosen by Christ to go and bear fruit. Every tree that does not bear fruit will be chopped down and burnt up (Matthew 3:10, 7:19).

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (James 4:4-6NLT)

Remember God does NOT bless a life of disobedience, but He does bless a life of obedience. He lavishes grace and mercy upon His children who are loving Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. Favor is the shield around His children.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Repent so you are not found in the same position as the people of Judah. God had enough of their foolish behavior. Do NOT bring God to the point where God tells someone not to pray for you anymore because of your stubborn, hardened, and calloused heart. There is a time when God says, “Enough” as we have seen here with Jeremiah.

There is no neutral ground when it comes to God. You are either on God’s side or you’re not. You cannot claim to live for God and love the things of this world; in other words, you cannot be a friend of God if you are a friend of the world. The God of the Old Testament is still God in the New Testament. God promises restoration, hope, and healing for those who are truly repentant with contrite hearts, those who recognize their need of the one and only Savior.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the One and Only God. You are the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. No one compares to You. You are sovereign and holy, and You do not share Your glory with another. Father, I will seek Your righteousness first and I will follow Your ways. I will obey Your commands and cling tightly to Your truth. I choose to serve You and You alone. Thank You for being my God and my Father. Thank You for Your instruction and Your discipline. Thank You for choosing me to go and bear fruit. Be with me as I follow Your commands and seek out Your ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

It Will Cost You Everything

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

32335-06122016-cc-Isaiah-46-9-social

“‘I have not troubled Israel,’ Elijah replied, ‘but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.'” 1 Kings 18:18(BSB)

Will serving and loving God cost you anything?  Yes, it will cost you everything (Luke 14:25-34), but the results are so worth it.  It is not enough to call yourself a believer.  It is not enough to be exposed to the Word of God.  You must be loving the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  You must be applying His Word to your life and obeying God and His Word out of that love for Him.  It really does come down to choosing whom you will serve.

When leaders choose to worship other gods, it causes problems for the nation or church or organization or households.  Why?  Because whatever the leader’s spirit is will be what the leader will be ministering with.  Don’t get me wrong.  God used a donkey to get His point across to Balaam the prophet in Numbers 22:28.  After all, nothing is too difficult for God. 

Either a leader will lead with the guidance of the Holy Spirit or a leader will be leading by the flesh.  When one leads with his/her flesh, there will always be major issues and problems.

With that being said…

There is one God, but Ahab and Jezebel worshiped Baal (most popular of the Canaanite gods).  However, Elijah was in the midst of the people, and eventually, Elijah challenged the people to take a stand. Either they would choose God or remain Baal worshipers.

When people have to give up their sinful pleasures in order to serve God, you can see their reluctance and walking away because they are not willing to surrender to God.  Their actions will make it quite clear whether they served God or not.  If you take a stand for God, you cannot live the way you want to.

You may be thinking, “I’m not a leader.”  Yes, you are.  All of us lead someone at some point.  Even if you think you are not a leader, you are being watched by someone (children, spouse, professors, teachers, supervisors, co-workers, list goes on).  How you act, what you say, and whether or not you stand for truth matters to whoever watches how you are living your life.  There are those who will watch to see if your walk and your talk line up with each other.  Make sure you keep yourself in right relationship with God, keeping Him first in all things.

 

Just like Elijah had challenged the people so did Joshua.  The Word of God gives this account in Joshua 24:24-27(BSB):  

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

The people replied, ‘Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!  For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!’

But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.’

‘No!’ replied the people. ‘We will serve the LORD!’

Then Joshua told them, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.’

‘We are witnesses!’ they said.

‘Now, therefore,’ he said, ‘get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.’

So the people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.’

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem, he established for them a statute and ordinance. Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD.  And Joshua said to all the people, ‘You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.'”

 

Taking a stand is never easy.  However, either you will choose to serve God and live for Him, or you will reject Him.  When it comes to living for God, there is NO neutral ground.  This is not the time to be backing down.  It is time to rise up and move forward doing whatever task God has called you to do.  You may be in this world, but you are not of this world.  Be a godly influence in this world, but do NOT let the world influence you. 

Linda A. Knowles

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.  Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will.  And I know that I will not be put to shame.” –Isaiah 50:7(NLT)

 

 

 

Give Rightful Place To GOD

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Psalm 139vs23-24

Idols cannot give us life.  GOD, however, is the Creator;  He is the Giver of Life.  “…yet my people have exchanged their glorious GOD for worthless idols,”  (Jeremiah 2:11).   An idol is anything or anyone that takes away GOD’s rightful place in our lives.  To exchange GOD for temporal things is foolishness.  Why would we exchange GOD who is the glory and the lifter of our heads (Psalm 3:3) for something else that is incapable of giving us life, for something which fades or withers away, something which eventually breaks (1 John 2:17).  Why exchange GOD who is eternal for other things which are not lasting?

“You must not have any other god but me.  You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind 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.  I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected–even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”  -Exodus 20:3-6

Since we are commanded not to have any other gods but the Almighty GOD then we must take hold of GOD, and cling tightly to His truth for He is our Sustainer (Psalm 54:4) and He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19).  When we love GOD, with our whole heart and soul and mind, we won’t want to hurt or displease GOD.  We demonstrate our love for GOD by giving GOD His rightful place in our lives and obeying all He has commanded us to do.  First place in our lives is not for anyone or anything else.

GOD alone is sovereign, worthy of all glory, honor, and praise for Who He Is.  He is worthy because He is GOD and has demonstrated His love and mercy to us by bestowing His love and His blessings lavishly upon His children.  GOD is to be our First Love.  Nothing can give us lasting joy except for GOD, and there is nothing that can replace GOD in our lives.  We can try to replace GOD in our lives, but that would be breaking GOD’s commands which would displease GOD and cause us nothing but heartache.

“So that I may take hold of the hearts of the people of Israel.  For because of their idols, they are all estranged from ME.” -Ezekiel 14:5

“So humble yourselves before God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come close to God, and God will come close to you.  Wash your hands, you sinner;  purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between GOD and the world.  Let there be tears for what you have done.  let there be sorrow and deep grief.  Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” -James 4:7-10

Let’s not pull away from GOD, but let’s be faithful to our GOD and not dessert Him for things which are fleeting.  Instead, let’s worship Him in spirit and in truth, giving Him our very best because He gave us His very best, loving Him because He first loved us.  GOD is worthy of us following Him wholeheartedly.  We should never give Him our leftovers, but give Him all the honor due Him because He is GOD. 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, You are Sovereign.  There is no other who compares with You for You are glorious and majestic in all Your ways.  Forgive me for the times I have put other things before You.  I never want to displease You.  Help me to always remember that You alone are GOD and You want the best for me.  Thank You for allowing me the privilege to be able to draw close to You.  Thank You for being mindful of me and for lavishly loving me.   Thank You for forgiving me.  Because I love You, I will do as You command and walk in Your ways.  Guide me into all truth.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

 

 

Divination/Witchcraft: (Part 2b) – Spellbound Captivation – YOGA

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
YOGA 1“‘You shall have no other gods before Me.'” -Exodus 20:3 (NASB)
*
“I am the LORD; that is my name. I will not give my glory to anyone else or the praise I deserve to idols.” -Isaiah 42:8 (NASB)
*
“‘For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.'” -Isaiah 48:11 (NASB)
*
Yoga has gained popularity in Christianity;  however, Yoga has no place in the life of Christian, and it is also another form of “Christian Meditation.”  Christians may live in this world, but we are not of this world.  We have been set apart for service unto God and are to do things God’s way and not take on the customs of this world.  Vain philosophies and imaginations of man such as Yoga will only take you down the broad road that leads to destruction and just because the word “Christian” is slapped in front of Yoga or the like DOES NOT make it Christian.  It is simply disguising itself in a blatant display of defiance before the God Most High who is spoken of in the Bible.  The Scriptures clearly show the children of Israel did not get away with Idolatry, neither will you.

THE ORIGIN OF YOGA

YOGA 2.jpgYoga has its origin in Ancient India and is practiced in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.  In India, “Namaste” is a common greeting as well as in the cultures neighboring them, and “Namaste” is associated with Yoga. The word “Namaste” literally means “I bow to you” and the other meaning to “Namaste” is “the light in me bows to the light in you,” and the word “Namaste” is used at the beginning and end of every Yoga session. If you are a Christian and you greet someone with the term “Namaste” you are actually telling the person, “I bow to you” which is recognizing the individual as a god, which means you are also acknowledging the ultimate goal of Yoga.
*
The word “Yoga” literally means, “to combine” or “to yoke,” and if you are doing Yoga, you are yoking yourself to the worship of false gods.  Part of Yoga is the chanting of the Sanskrit word “Aum” or “Om,” which is considered so sacred that it is at the beginning and ending to every Hindu mantra and incantation.  Even the holy book of Hinduism, the Bhagavad Ghita (ancient Indian Text) tells you why every mantra and incantation is buttoned with “Aum” or “Om,” and is symbolic “Uttering the monosyllable Om, the eternal world of Brahman, One who departs leaving the body (at death), he attains the superior goal.”  The religion of Buddhism also considers “Aum” to be sacred and follows suit in its practice as well.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF YOGA

YOGA 3In Hinduism, the ultimate goal is to become one with god, to be the creator god (the supreme god) called Brahma, the first god (4-headed) in “the triad,” which also includes the Hindu gods Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer as shown in the photo to the left.  To reach what is called “moksha,” a state of complete perfection, liberation, and godhood,  some Sadhus, Indian wandering holy men, have chosen a life of poverty in order to go on a quest in search of perfection and liberation, and to become god the creator.  They look inward toward themselves, “the god within.”  However, it is not only the Sadhus looking to reach a state of complete perfection, liberation, and to be the creator god but also anyone who practices the religion of Hinduism.

YOGA 5Now if any of this sounds familiar to you, there are passages that speak to one creature we know of that was thrown out of Heaven because he wanted to be God; His name is Lucifer/Satan, and he is the epitome of wickedness and anything that tries to exalt itself against the God of All Creation spoken of in the Holy Bible.  Both the King of Babylon and the King of Tyre, within the pages of the Bible, are shown to have the same characteristics in human form as Satan; Satan, being the epitome of all evil, and the kings, spiritually speaking, were no different than their father the devil.  The Kings of Babylon and Tyre wanted to be God and would do anything to achieve their goal of reaching the absolute state of perfection and godhood.  From Isaiah 14:12-17 (GW) “How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations! You thought, ‘I’ll go up to heaven and set up my throne above God’s stars. I’ll sit on the mountain far away in the north where the gods assemble.  I’ll go above the top of the clouds. I’ll be like the Most High.’  But you’ve been brought down to Sheol, to the deepest part of the pit.  Those who see you stare at you; they look at you closely and say, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook the kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and tore down its cities, who didn’t let his prisoners go home?'”  From Ezekiel 28:12-18 (ESV) “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.  You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx and jasper, sapphire, emerald and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings.  On the day that you were created they were prepared.  You were an anointed guardian cherub.  I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.  You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.  In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you out as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stone of fire.  Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.  I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.  By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you.”  From Luke 10:18-20 (BSB) When Jesus was speaking to the 72 who had come back from doing great works in His name, “He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  The 72 could not take credit or pride in what they had done in the name of God and through the authority given to them by Christ because the great exploits they had done were not done by human strength or human wisdom.  They were given authority by Christ.  They were to give glory to God and not take pride or take joy that the demons submitted to them.  

*
“I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me.” -Isaiah 43:11 (NASB)
*
“You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” -Exodus 34:14 (NLT)
*
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” -Matthew 24:11 (KJV)
*
“Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.” -1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT)

ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION

How do you repurpose pagan worship and pagan prayer and then turn around, call it Christian, and actually believe the pagan worship and pagan prayer will be acceptable to the God who is spoken of in the Bible?

Coming Next:  Divination/Witchcraft: (Part 3) – Spellbound Captivation – Who Do You Want To Talk To?

Divination/Witchcraft: (Part 2a) Vain Repetition & Meditation

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
COVER YOUR EARS 1
WHAT IS VAIN REPETITION?
Vain repetition -formulated prayers, mantras, incantations- are words which are useless and empty which flow from the human mind, things conceived by man, influenced by vain imaginations and worldly philosophies.  In Romans 12:2, it states, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
*
Jesus had this to say about vain repetition in a teaching in Matthew 6:7 (NLT), “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.”
*
In Acts 19:28 (BLB), we find an example of vain repetition, “And having heard, and having become full of rage, they were crying out saying, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians,'” and in Acts 19:34 (ESV), “But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!'” For two hours, they kept crying out the same phrase over and over.  Their shouts lasted only two hours and what purpose did it serve?  No purpose at all.  It was simply part of their rioting, senseless rioting over a false deity with all that chanting, and no results.
*
The Oxford Dictionary defines mantra as:
  1. Originally in Hinduism and Buddhism a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation
  2. A Vedic hymn.
  3. A statement or slogan repeated frequently.
The Origin of the word itself:  “Late 18th century: Sanskrit, literally ‘a thought, thought behind speech or action’, from man- ‘think’, related to mind.”
*
Mantras and incantations have their origins in the Vedic Religion (India).  The ancient text “The Vedas,” considered sacred, is in the Sanskrit language, written between 1500 and 1000 BCE, is filled with prayers, formulas, liturgy, and mythological accounts. Many of the languages spoken in India have descended from the Sanskrit language.
*
Mantras/Incantations have been part of Christian Meditation since about the 4th Century having its origins in Eastern Religions and Eastern Philosophies (Monks/Nuns of Eastern Orthodoxy, The Church of the East, Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Catholicism) has flowed into Modern Christianity where even Transcendental Meditation (From the Middle Eastern Religions and Middle Eastern Philosophies as well as Asian Religions and Asian Philosophies) is readily accepted with the use of mantras and incantations.
*
For instance, in a video of a Christian Meditation Instructor, she stated, “I want you to use this mantra.  Repeat after me:  I choose you.” She would take a deep “cleansing breath” and then repeat the mantra.  She did this several times.
*
Another Christian Meditation Instructor looked at a bible verse from Isaiah and proceeded to put her electronic Bible down and commenced with the meditation.
*
In some of the worldly meditation videos, I saw the same thing going on as I did with the “Christian Meditation” videos.  I could NOT see the difference between “Christian Meditation” versus the Secular Meditation unless I looked very closely.  In other words, there was no difference with the so-called Christian Meditation versus the Worldly Meditation.  Both use Bible Scripture to back up their forms of meditation.  Mantras and incantations are mantras and incantations no matter how much you try to dress it up, disguise it, slice it, or dice it.
 *
Acceptable Prayer to the God spoken of in the bible does not involve mantras or incantations or formulated prayers.  King David poured his heart out to God in the Psalms (56:8 NLT) “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”  In Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV), it states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” and in Matthew 11:28 (NASB), Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  We are told in 1 John 5:14 (ESV), “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”  And that even in prayer (Psalm 150:6 NLT), “Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!”  Acceptable Prayer to the God Who is The Creator is simply pouring your heart out before Him, coming into His presence with thanksgiving, and acceptable prayer is also repentance and confession before Him, seeking after Him and His righteousness.
*

We, as believers, are not to adopt the ways or customs of this world (Romans 12:2), and when you are using the mantras and incantations you are you are committing the sins of divination and idolatry.  When you chant mantras and incantations you are exalting and giving glory to Satan, NOT GOD, and as children of the Most High God, we are to follow the examples and teachings of Christ, NOT the ways and customs of this world.  The Bible is quite clear when it states in Deuteronomy 18:9-13 (NLT), “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. But you must be blameless before the Lord your God. ” 

MEDITATION 1THIS “NEW THING” CALLED “CHRISTIAN MEDITATION”
Christian Meditation is NOT a new thing and it’s not the new thing God is speaking of in Isaiah 43:18-19 which states, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
*
To use this passage to justify “Christian Meditation” is to misinterpret and to misappropriate the text because this passage is speaking about the Lord not having exhausted His power, that whatever situation one may find him/herself in, God will provide a way through the situation which is likened to a “wilderness” and that God provides relief to His child where there is none.  We can see this, by the full context of Isaiah 43:18-19 by reading the previous verses which state (verses 16-17), “This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick,” which means the God who parted the sea and delivered Israel from Egypt, defeated their enemies and provided a way of escape.  Where they didn’t see any relief, God provided them with relief from their oppressors and gave them victory.  This passage has absolutely nothing to do with this “new thing” called “Christian Meditation.”
*
Nowhere in Scripture will you find the Transcendental Meditation steps such as focusing on self-discovery or enlightenment or to be aware of your environment.  The Bible does NOT tell you to focus on yourself in prayer.  As a matter of fact, it states, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on you because he trusts in You,” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT) and “When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into the full truth. He won’t speak on his own. He will speak what he hears and will tell you about things to come,” (John 16:13 GW).  Truth is given by the God Who Created The Heavens and The Earth, and the Bible states, in Psalm 33:4 (NLT), “For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does,” and in John 17:17 (NLT), we can see Jesus prayed, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”
*
Christian Meditation, like the worldly meditations, takes your mind off Jesus Christ as told of in the Bible, and has you emptying your mind to discover your environment around you, to focus on self-discovery, and focus on gaining enlightenment.  The Bible tells you what to focus such as in Galatians 6:14 (NLT), “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died,” and 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NLT), “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God,” and in Roman 13:14 (NLT), “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”
*
BIBLICAL MEDITATION
*
Biblical Meditation never requires using eloquent words or formulas to pray to Him.  He is not impressed with the power of your voice as you shout out to Him.  He is not impressed with many words.
*
In 1 Samuel 16:7 (GW), it states, “But the LORD told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the LORD looks into the heart.”  HE LOOKS TO YOUR HEART, not your outward display of showmanship before Him.
*
Biblical Meditation is not influenced by culture or any kind of man-made philosophy, and it does not coddle the vain imaginations of man.
*
Biblical Meditation involves you and Jesus “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5).  Jesus is your Mediator, sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you.
*
You will find nowhere in the Bible where it tells you to “Exhale the bad, Inhale the good,” or to utter any such nonsensical mantra such as “Exhale the bad, Inhale Jesus.”  The Bible does not say for you to focus on the environment when meditating on God, but the Bible does say in Colossians 3:2 (ESV), “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”  The Bible does not say empty your mind, but the Bible does say in Philippians 4:8 (ESV), “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  The Bible does not say to tell you to recite mantras and incantations, but the Bible does say in Matthew 6:7 (NLT), “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again,” and in John 4:24 (BSB), “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth,” and in Psalm 150:6 (NASB), “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!”
*
Meditating on God’s Word is hiding His Word in your heart, and in Psalm 119:11 (KJV), the Psalmist King David declared, “Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”  Meditating God’s Way is “Be still and know that I am God.”  When you hide God’s Word in your heart, you have Scripture you can think about, ponder, consider, and something you can put into action.  By hiding His Word in your heart, committing His Word to memory, you have something you can carry throughout the day with you, not just one day but every day.  At various points, you can sit down and meditate on what you studied or read from the Bible, thinking about how you can apply the Word of God practically to your life.
*
Acceptable Prayer and Biblical Meditation (as shown in the Scriptures) is pleasing to God while Christian Meditation and Vain Repetition are forms of divination because they involve the invoking of false deities…

(Coming Next:  Divination/Witchcraft:  (Part 2b) – Spellbound Captivation – YOGA)

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…

Digging Cracked Cisterns

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

CISTERN 3“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me-the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”  –Jeremiah 2:13

If we look at the first four chapters of Jeremiah, you will notice that Spiritual Adultery and Idolatry are used interchangeably.  In the eyes of God, these two issues are the same issue.  To commit spiritual adultery is to be unfaithful to God and to commit idolatry is to worship another god.  Both require no loyalty, commitment, faithfulness, or courage to stand for what’s right.

Looking at the above verse from Jeremiah, the people of Israel were digging cracked cisterns for themselves.  Cisterns hold water, but in this particular passage, the cracked cisterns were the false religious systems and their continual idolatry of false gods the pagan nations served.  Whenever the Israelites turned away from God to serve the gods of pagan nations, they were building cracked cisterns that could not hold the amount of spiritual adultery, the pagan rituals they adopted along with the adoration of foreign gods.  The cracked cisterns represented everything temporal which would eventually fade away or erode.

However, the Fountain of the Living Water holds Truth and Life, and the Fountain of Living Water is eternal, unbreakable, the Source of Our Hope, and the Source of Life.  The people of God traded in their God, The Creator of Heavens and Earth, for gods made out of the hands of man.  Note:  Not even the pagan nations traded in their national gods as we can see in verses 11-12 which states, “Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones even though they are not gods at all?  Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!  The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay, says the Lord.”

Nowadays, we’re no different from the Israelites.  We could call them foolish people, but today, we’re just as foolish as they were.  We trade in the Fountain of the Living Water for cracked cisterns of our own making called money, power, wealth, prestige, religious systems, or whatever it is taking first place in our lives.  First place in our lives belongs to God and Him alone.  Why would we trade our glorious God for what is going to fade away?  Why would we trade our glorious God for what is broken and cracked when He offers what is whole and eternal?  Why should we cling to cracked cisterns when God is faithful to His promises of restoration and renewal, promises of hope?

God has shown us He does not change.  He is our Constant and Assurance.  He knows the motivations and intentions of the heart.  God does not look at the appearance of any man or woman.  He sees us digging cracked cisterns or if we are drinking from the Fountain of the Living Water.

If we have dug cracked cisterns for ourselves, then we must know we are being called back to a place of repentance.  God promises restoration for those who truly have a broken spirit and contrite heart before Him and does not turn away those who are humble and broken, truly repentant before Him.

What cracked cisterns do you have?  Are you truly willing to lay them down at the feet of God?  No one can answer those questions for you.  You must answer for yourself.

God must be First place in our life, our First Resource, not our last resort.  Let us come before God to be renewed, to be restored and purified.  Let us come bow our hearts before Him, seeing ourselves in light of who He is.

“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.” -Psalm 51:16-17

 

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles