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

STOP BOWING DOWN TO CULTURE

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“And you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.'” -Ezekiel 11:12 (NKJV)

Israel was no different than us today. They were not supposed to be like the other nations. They were not to participate nor were they to conform to the ways of the pagan nations that were all around them.

As the children of God, Israel was not to take on the pagan customs as their own. They were to have nothing to do with pagan religious rituals; They were not to get involved in the pagan religions at all. They were set apart to stand out, not to blend in. They were called to bear fruits of righteousness and holiness.

Today, we like Israel are not to confirm to the patterns, behavior, or customs of this world. We are called to holiness, called to stand out and not to be like the world. We are to follow God’s commands and laws. We are to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God,” (Romans 12:2 NKJV).

GOD HAS ALREADY SET THE STANDARDS SO STOP TRYING TO REWRITE WHAT GOD HAS PERFECTED.

GOD has made it clear in His Word what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. It doesn’t matter what the culture around you says. It doesn’t matter what the culture around you calls right and wrong. The vain imaginations of men and the world’s philosophies are not approved of GOD.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” -Romans 1:21 (NKJV)

If your main goal is to please man in what you do and say, and if you are looking for man to approve what you do and say, then you are not a servant of Christ.

“Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ,” (Galatians 1:10 BSB).

As a child of the LIVING GOD, you have been chosen and called to bear fruit (Reference John 15:16). You have been called to be set apart, to be made holy, to stand for truth, not to bow down to the culture around you.

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)
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“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)
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“‘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)
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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.
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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.  

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“I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me.” -Isaiah 43:11 (NASB)
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“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)
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“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” -Matthew 24:11 (KJV)
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“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?

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