Fighting the Four Evils

Abuse comes it all kinds of forms, and the most pernicious type of abuse is spiritual abuse. People who are being spiritually abused often do not realise it, precisely because it is spiritual abuse.  False teaching is itself spiritual abuse. It is spiritual abuse not only because it causes people to be led astray from the truth, leading to their destruction. Spiritual abuse is far more than that. Spiritual abuse, in being for the ultimate destruction of the person, destroys the humanity of a person. Abuse is not the mere lack of respect for a person, although a person who is abused will certainly be shown no respect towards. Destroying, diminishing, damaging, or distorting the humanity of a person is the essence of what abuse is. By abusing a person, one is treating him or her as one who is not created in the Image of God, or failing to treat him or her as being fully created in the Image of God. False teaching is of an extremely insidious and pernicious type of abuse. Part o...

Jesus told people to " Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able " (L uke 13:24). This teaching of Jesus is truly a frightening one. He said that many of those who professing to follow Him will not be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When they knock on the door, asking Him to open the door to them, and expecting Him to welcome them, only to find out that He tells them to depart for they are workers of iniquity: When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. (Luke 13:25-27). This is truly frightening.  ...

Many people in the modern Church have the mindset that a blessed life is one which receives whatever one wants or desires. That is an extremely dangerous false teaching which has ensnared many in seeking to get what they want, leading them to do move ahead of God, or resort to illicit ways of getting what they want. It has caused many to loose faith in God in waiting on God, resulting in much frustration, leading to bitterness, which leads to unbelief. To be blessed by God is to be favoured by God. What makes a person favoured by God is whether he or she walks righteously in the sight of God. He or she does not trust in himself or herself, but acknowledges God in all his or her ways. Proverbs 3:5-6 gives great wisdom: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.   In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. The Bible specifically exhorts us to trust in the Lord with all one's heart and not lean on one's own u...

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding (Proverbs 3:13). The conventional view of a blessed life is one that is full of earthly temporal gifts, such as a well-respected profession, marriage and family. While such things may be gifts, they are merely temporal. What good are they if they do not make one to be rich in Christ, by making one serve Christ more faithfully, adding to one's heavenly riches? True riches, the only true riches, are heavenly riches which come only by serving Christ and loving Christ. The Bible says that the blessed life is one that is wise. Only by wisdom does one knows what direction one should live to please God to live a righteous life. To be blessed to be favoured by God because of living righteously before Him. Righteousness gives true joy and peace. The wise life is the blessed life. It is one characterised by constant learning, and understanding, leading to greater understanding and wisdom day by day. Having all the thing...

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth (Luke 12:15). Many people in the modern professing Church think that having an abundant life means to work hard for one's job or career, get married and have children, buy a house, buy a car, earn as much income as one can, take as many holidays as one can, and be an influential well-respected member of society and one's circles.   They think that this all shows how "blessed" they are, that it is a sign of God's favour to them because of their righteousness and holiness. They are smug behind all their material comfort and think that those who have less than them, or who lack something they have, or are suffering are less holy and righteous than them, all without realising it. They think they are more worthy in God's eyes than those who have less than them, or who lack something they have, out of their prid...

Christian apologist Nabeel Qureshi of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries was called home by the Lord on the 16 September 2017. He died aged 34, leaving behind a widow and young daughter.  Life is indeed short. People die young. People die old. People die saved. People die unsaved. People died married. People died unmarried. People die without debt. People die owing debt. People die and leave behind children. People die and not leave behind children. People die wise. People die foolish. People die rich. People die poor. But one thing is clear: all will die. So, one wonders, what is life? No other book in the Bible but Ecclesiastes examines such questions in a riveting, thrilling, realistic, and yet encouraging way. Many people in the modern Church in the west find Ecclesiastes hard to accept, or hard to put into practice. They find it very depressing. Much of it is because most Christians in the west have every earthly thing they can have, including the ones who live a mor...

Very compelling article on how one should live: by focusing on God and God alone, forgetting everything else. https://illbehonest.com/your-lifes-ambition-bob-jennings

A man is born Growing up and maturing With dreams and aspirations; Seeking to pursue his dreams Single-minded in his own dreams, Full of ambition For prosperity and security. He toils all day and night In all his pursuits; Day by day he toils Improving himself for his own glory Until he succeeds. A successful man became, Gaining much wealth, a loving family, and many friends. "Why" he asks, "do I feel so empty inside?" Having everything yet nothing; Having so much, yet so little; Having all things, but yet nothing; Having wealth, but yet poverty For he seeks not God But his own dreams and visions His own prosperity and security; Hating the Lord God who gave him his life, And every single breath. Old age comes, His wealth becoming scarce, Family members and friends Decease one by one. He asks, "what is the point of life?" All is but an illusion Man is nothing but an actor on a stage And like grass That grows up tall, and...

  I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the  Lord ; and I will heal him.   But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.    There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked (Isaiah 57:19-21).  Why is it that the world cannot have peace? Because of its wickedness.  Those who are wickedness have no peace, nor cannot have peace because they drink iniquity like water (Job 15:16). Iniquity leads to death for "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Sin is death. Thus, righteousness and holiness is life for Christ, the Life (John 14:6) is righteousness.  Christ is the true peace itself and so only in Him can there can peace. He who has life has peace. He who has no life, that is true life which only comes from Christ has no peace. My covenant was with him of life and peace ; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared ...