Lie Not Against the Truth

  Thought for Today  -  May 31,2022

 Lie Not Against The  Truth  -  By: Robert A. Searles 

  “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom decendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work.” James 3: 13-16

 Dear friends, one of the methods that Satan uses to try to destroy us and to ruin our testimony as aChristian is to cause us to harbor bitter envying and strife in our heart. Satan knows the effect that bitterness and strife can have on our mind and our bodies. It can cause an imbalance in the chemical make up in our bodies, eventually causing breakdown and illness, and it can cause our thinking process to be irrational and perverted; also , it can cause our thoughts to be turned away from our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 My friend, if there is any trace of bitterness or strife in your heart this morning as you begin this new day, glory not, but confess it to God and lie not against the truth. Jealousy, envy and covetousness are all grievous sins and displeasing to God our Father who has promised to be generous to his children and to provide for all our needs. Bitterness, envy, strife, jealousy and covetousness are the elements which lead to war. 

 “From whence come wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and can not obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not because ye ask not. Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4: 1-3 

 Dear friend in Christ, let us turn to our Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ this morning, and to the written word which he has given us, and allow the Holy Spirit, through the word of God to wash away all this bitterness, and to cleanse us and make us fit vessels for the master's use. Get into the word of God, and by the washing of the word, be clean.

 “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” James 3: 16-18 

“But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4: 6-10

                    Telehelp Publications Christian Literature Ministry

                                                          Psalm 26:7

  Thought for Today  - May 31, 2022
God's Promise Of Forgiveness
By: Robert A. Searles

     The question is asked - “Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord?, Or who shall stand in his Holy place?” Psalm 24: 3 (KJV).

  Since the fall of mankind in Eden, no one has been found to be qualified to stand in his own righteousness, before God, because the answer to this question, and requirement is - “He  that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity; nor sworn deceitfully.  He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalm 24: 4, 5.

     Only one person has ever qualified to enter the gate of God's holiness, and he alone is righteous among men.  He alone has clean hands and a pure heart, and has not lifted up his  soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.  His name is Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah who came down from God.  He alone may enter, in his own righteousness, into the presence of God the Father.

     For God has declared that  there is none righteous.  “For as it  is written, there is none righteous, no not one.” Romans 3:10 (KJV)  “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of  God.” Romans 3: 23 (KJV)

The good news is, that there is no sin that God cannot or will not forgive if we will humble ourselves and by faith ask for his forgiveness.  Jesus, while feasting in the house of a Pharisee, forgave a sinful woman, who showed her faith and acceptance of him by washing his feet with her hair, and anointed them with precious ointment. See Luke 7: 36-50 (KJV).

  If we expect to be the recipient of God's mercy and forgiveness, we must not hold resentments and grudges against those who have trespassed against us, but we must be willing to forgive as God has forgiven us

    All of mankind carries a heavy burden on his shoulders, and that burden weighs him down,  and causes  him shame, and degradation, and if not removed, will send him to hell.  That burden on the shoulder of all mankind is sin.  Those who continue to carry that heavy burden of sin in their heart, can have no fellowship  with God. And since God created man to enjoy his fellowship,  and when a man's fellowship with his creator is not a fact of his life, then man is like the beast of the earth that perish. God is not willing that any should perish. He has provided a way by which all men and women, boys and girls, can  have the burden of sin removed from them, and their fellowship with him restored.

     Without God's fellowship, men and women, boys and  girls, perish;  families fall apart; nations and empires crumble.  It is almost impossible today to turn on the television or log on to the internet without seeing someone with a gun or weapon in his hand ready to kill, or to witness someone in bed with another person's wife or husband, committing adultery, or hearing filthy blasphemous words being broadcast for all to hear.  How could a Holy God have fellowship with that kind of trash?

     I fear for our nation that,  if it's people do not turn from their wicked ways and get back to the business of fellowship with God. who has made provision for,  all who will, to  accept his offer of salvation, that fearful judgements will fall upon us.  God is more willing to forgive than we are to be forgiven.  God has promised us forgiveness and restoration to fellowship with him if we will only accept his  terms.

     What are God's terms?  They are – to humble ourselves; pray; turn from our wicked ways; seek God; Then God is faithful to keep his covenant with men.  God hears; forgives sin; heals; the Lord is merciful, gracious, slow to anger; plenteous in mercy; he remembers sin no more; the lost are found and restored to fellowship with him.  God has provided forgiveness to all who will call upon him.and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

     A well known promise from the word of God which has been  repeated and quoted and preached many times, but is truly valid  for the salvation of our nation - “If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.” 2Chronicles 7: 14 (KJV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 9 (KJV)

     “The  Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger forever.  He hath not  dealt with us according to our iniquity.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far  hath he removed our transgressions from us.”. Psalm 103: 8 -12 (KJV)

     “And they shalt teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, sayeth the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity; and I will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31: 34

     How wonderful for us to have God remember our sins no  more!  God has provided  a way that  his promise of forgiveness may be fulfilled through his only begotten son, the Lord  Jesus Chri