Things Above Thoughts
TAT 131 The Inch
In Revelation 13:11–18 we read of one who has worldwide control over all humanity. Without their approval no one can buy or sell anything! While they have control of the entire world they are also the enemy of God. How is it possible that such a person could obtain such control over this earth? Possibly because of fear!
Most of us believe that if someone put a gun to our head and said “deny Christ or I will shoot” we would not fear, we would say “pull the trigger.” But the greater problem, a lest fearful problem, is a problem of inches. Back in the early 1900s the government tried to implement a Social Security program which would require everyone to receive a specific, individual, number. It was met with such resistance the government had to first implement it as a voluntary program and stated, in writing, that the numbers would not be used for identification purposes. My Social Security card, obtained in the 60s, has, in writing, in capital letters, the statement “FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND TAX PURPOSES – NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION.” The government has “inched” its way along to its present position with required Social Security and identification. Another example of “inching along” is realized in treaties the government made with some Native American tribes: “as long as the grass grows and the water flows.” Therefore it is true, it is not the gun we need to fear the most but the inch.
In this time of fear let us not establish a flimsy framework of control which can inch along into a worldwide system of control that can be used by a future antichrist.
On the bright side, it might be nearing the time for us to say – “just pull the trigger?”.
On September 18, 2017 / Faith
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 114 Sanctification
Christ told Paul to:
open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. (Acts 26:18)
Sanctified: set apart.
Place our faith in Christ and be set apart. Place our faith in anything else and remain in the crowd, Satan’s dominion.
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 116 No Choice and The Choice
Christ told Paul to:
open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. (Acts 26:18)
No choice: Paul was to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness. Their starting point, was in darkness, they had no choice about that. This is true of us all—we start in darkness.
The Choice: The most important choice one will ever make is not what school to go to, who to marry, what vocation to pick, where to live, our politics, how much money we make. The most important choice is to turn from Satan’s darkness to God’s light. Only when God’s light is presented is there any true choice. If God’s light is not presented they can only choose things from the darkness.
For those who have chosen to turn to God’s light it is my prayer that our daily lives continue on in God’s light and project His light to others so that they may have The Choice.
If it is disagreeable in you sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: (Joshua 24:15).
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 113 Domination or Relation
Christ told Paul to:
open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. (Acts 26:18)
To turn “from the dominion of Satan to God.”
Satan’s Dominion: A system of rule among rebellious angels.
God: The perfect, supreme being.
Satan’s Dominion: the emphasis is on a system of rebellious rulership.
God: the emphasis is on a living being.
Point:
To be dominated by a system of rebellious angelic rule or to come into a personal relationship with the only God in existence. The choice is ours daily.
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 111 Proper Vision
Christ told Paul to:
open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. (Acts 26:18)
When we live in darkness we do not “see” God’s light – nor do we “see” the content of Satan’s darkness. But when we live in God’s light not only do we “see” God‘s light but we also “see” …….. our forgiveness and inheritance. Do not let the content of Satan’s darkness overshadow God’s forgiveness and eternal inheritance.
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 110 Eat Well
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom. 12:2)
The only way to transform our minds is to have a proper and consistent mental diet of the bread of life, God’s Word (John 1:1; 6:35). Without this diet we are spiritually anemic and can not know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. As the old gardener said: “It’s important to know the difference between mulch, manure, and oatmeal.”
Without a proper and consistent diet of the Bible we will never know what we are swallowing. Eat Well!
Things Above Thoughts (TAT)
TAT # 109 Know and No Trust
Oswald Chamber’s May 31st reading was so good I am including the first part of it here:
“Put God First in Trust. Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, … for He knew what was in man. John 2:24–25.
Our Lord trusted no man; yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, never in despair about any man because He put God first in trust; He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for any man. If I put my trust in human beings first, I will end in despairing of everyone; I will become bitter, because I have insisted on man being what no man ever can be—absolutely right. Never trust anything but the grace of God in yourself or in anyone else.
Put God’s Needs First. Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God. Hebrews 10:9.
A man’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need; Our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father.” (Underlines added)
Many see the need for a better world and think politics and or religious systems are ways to achieve that need. So they become obedient to them or promote them. BUT — all of God’s commandments in the New Testament are not to governments or religious organizations – they are to His chosen people. They are to be carried out by me and you no matter what government systems or religious systems say. We are to trust only God and His written Word and we are to know the frailty of all humanity, yes even our own.
Know God, know our hearts, and put no trust in man (John 2:24–25; Hebrew 4:12)
Eternal Blessings
ScVerlin Barton
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 108 The Cup or the Promises?
Recently I was asked why I always end my prayer with “please come quickly Lord Jesus.” Then someone said “yeah, it’s going to happen anyway so why pray for it?” This is something with which I constantly struggle. I pray for it because not only is it the last prayer/promise in the Bible (Rev. 22:20) but also because I want out of here!
Many of us know the last part of Philippians 4:6–7: “. . . let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” But would I pray that prayer if I met the qualifications listed in the first part of verse 6? Those qualifications are “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving . . .”? If I were not anxious and always thankful for everything, what prayer requests would I have?
In the garden, prior to the cross, Christ prayed: “. . . take this cup of suffering away from me. However your will must be done not mine.” (Luke 22:42 GWN) In the rest of the prayer, found in John 17, He prayed, not for more peace or strength to face His suffering, but for things that God had already promised would come about! He knew God’s will and that is what He prayed for!
Do I just want to get rid of the cup He has given me and get out of here, or do I, like Christ, accept His cup and pray, in accurate and specific detail, for His promises to be completed?
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 107 Limping & Living
In Genesis 2:16–17 the Lord tells Adam not to eat the fruit from a specific tree or he would die. In Chapter three Adam eats the fruit but does not drop dead (Genesis 3:6). When the Lord comes upon the scene, naturally Adam is afraid, of the only thing he has to fear – death, and tries to hid himself from the Lord (3:8–10). The Lord examines the events of the eating of the fruit and starts handing out punishment to the parties involved (3:11–14). The Lord then curses the serpent and makes it crawl on its belly but He does not kill Adam and the woman nor does He even bring up the subject of the death which He has promised (3:14). At the point where we would expect the death penalty to be applied the Lord reveals that the humans are going to stay alive for awhile longer and fight the one who empowered the serpent (3:15)!
“And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; her offspring will attack your head, (*rulership) and you will attack her offspring’s heel (*an element needed for walking).” (Genesis 3:15 with *clarification NET)
Rather than applying complete and total death God left humanity on this earth to destroy Satan’s rulership (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20)!
Therefore with your injured heal, keep on limping through life, being obedient—not to Satan and his dying rulership but to God and His living, eternal rulership!
See also Philippians 3:8–16.
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 106 Proper
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, (Rom. 1:28)
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil. (Isaiah 5:20)
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the person of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
I pray that I do not live my life by popular human standards but properly by the Lord’s standards.
Therefore I keep asking myself: How well do I know His Scriptures?
Things Above Thoughts
TAT # 105 Big & Little
Oswald Chambers wrote: “Readiness for God means that we are ready to do the tiniest little thing or the great big thing, it makes no difference.”
Whether the Lord calls me to big things or little makes no difference to me. BUT the results are important to me! I want to do little things and receive big results and blessings. I do not want to do big things and receive little results and blessings. Nor do I want to simply stand firm on a little godly ground in my life and receive big persecution!
Big blessings with little effort and little suffering, that’s me!
