by David Brenneman
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:25 CSB.
"My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend;" Proverbs 7:1-4.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7.
"Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” John 21:22.
Was something similar that my Saturday Men's Group leader says to us often "keep pace with the Savior". Here in the Christian Standard Bible it reads to "keep in step" with the Spirit.
In 1890, E. W. Blandy wrote "Where He Leads Me" and its so fitting this morning to keeping in step with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
"I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
"Take thy cross and follow, follow Me."
2 I'll go with Him through the garden,
I'll go with Him through the garden,
I'll go with Him through the garden,
I'll go with Him, with Him all the way.
3 I'll go with Him through the judgment,
I'll go with Him through the judgment,
I'll go with Him through the judgment,
I'll go with Him, with Him all the way.
4 He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
and go with me, with me all the way.
5 Where He leads me I will follow,
where He leads me I will follow,
where He leads me I will follow,
I'll go with Him, with Him all the way.
Are you in step with Jesus or are you more about doing your own thing each day? Do you check in your Bible to see if what you've been taught and told is true to God's Word?
A very big sign of the end times is false teachers in the churches of the world. Note that I did not say the professing Church. There's practically countless churches out there who've been taken in by the false teachers of this world.
We can only spot such heresies by knowing the Word of God ourselves. We can only know if we've been deceived if we know what God's own truth, the Word of God, says.
There in Proverbs 7 King Solomon begins giving instruction that if heeded will keep one from such lies about life and living.
We can so easily be as swayed as the world when the lies it spreads are as decorated desserts.
This world is filled with dangers, toils, and snares these days that are beyond more than it was even 10 years ago. AI, artificial intelligence, has wormed its way into churches. From behind the scenes in sermons and sermon preparation, to the music and songs used.
We have to stand firm in the Lord.
We must test the things taught and presented by the world, especially those from within our churches, to be sure they 100% match up with the truth found only in God's Word.
We must keep the whole armor of God on in every waking moment of our daily lives. We are, after all, soldiers of the cross of Jesus Christ. We are to take up our own cross and follow Him. Not just on a few hours of a day or two but at all times in all places.
We should never participate in the deeds of darkness in this world. We should never practice what the world without Christ enjoys without measure.
We should be taking the time to write on the tablets of our hearts the living Word of God.
Are you? Do you commit time to be in God's Word daily? Is it your number one priority? Do you seek Jesus in prayer? Are you committed to what it is God's called you to be doing in your life for Christ?
My Dear Reader...these things are what will survive the fires of truth when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives before Him.
Everything that we've done NOT for Christ will be shown to have been a colossal waste of time as it's consumed by the fires of His truth.
"Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3.
"Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it." Psalms 37:5.
"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13.
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34.
Many of the letters written that we have in the New Testament address false teachers and false leaders. The stage may have changed but the problem still remains. We cannot blindly take in teaching without seeing if it s so by the Word of God.
When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
-Trust and Obey, John H. Sammis 1887
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
A corporation not for profit.
La Habra, CA All rights reserved
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