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Psalms 37:1-2,7 ESV
There are many evil people in this world. And some of them are people who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and some of them are pastors and elders of church congregations (or of what is falsely being called “church”). Many trusted people in this world are nefarious at heart and are those who profess one thing outwardly but while secretly they are plotting evil against those who they have professed to love and to care for and who are those they are supposed to watch over and to protect.
In other words, there are many wolves in sheep’s clothing out there in the world and in the gatherings of what is called “church.” They give an outward appearance of one thing, and therefore they are trusted, but in reality that is not who they are at all. But many people are following them blindly, because they are following what is seen on the outside, and so they are not testing these people to see if they really are who they claim to be. And so, as Christians, we should be praying for discernment in these matters.
But on the flip side of that, those of us who are aware of these evil people and of their evil plots against us should not fret ourselves because of them, and because of their evil plots against us. Now this is not saying that we have arrived in this, and that there is no way we are trusting those who are truly evil at heart, but there are a lot of people who are following other people blindly without realizing the evil of their hearts and deeds. And then there are those whose eyes have been opened to see the evil lurking.
But then we have another situation at hand and that is that many of these people who are following blindly these wolves in sheep’s clothing are also those who are rejecting the Lord’s true servants and messengers. And it is because they are deceived into believing the lies and into rejecting the truth that they are calling what is pure evil good, and they are calling what is truly righteous evil. And so they are shutting out the truth in favor of the lies and they are following these evil people while rejecting the godly of this world.
And so, as we see these various situations taking place, and we see people following those who are truly evil while rejecting the godly; and while we see evil people disguising themselves as good and as servants of righteousness in order to deceive the masses; and when we see evil people being successful in their evil ways, while we see the godly being persecuted and cast aside; and while we see so many people being deceived by the lies while they are rejecting the truth of the Scriptures, we are not to fret over these situations, but we are to commit them to the Lord in prayer.
And not only must we not fret and worry, but we are to be still before the Lord, and we are to wait patiently for him to act. For all who practice evil are going to be judged by God for the evil they have committed, and they will perish in their sins unless they turn and they repent and they follow the Lord Jesus with their lives. And that is a possibility we should be praying for, because Jesus died on that cross to save sinners from their sin. And we are supposed to be loving and praying even for our enemies, and doing good to them, and saying to them what is beneficial for them (blessing them).
Psalms 37:3-6 ESV
Now, we are certainly not to ignore evil, and we should be those who are exposing the evil that is going on in the world and within the gatherings of what is called “church.” But we should also be those who are proclaiming the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that many may come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior, and so they will turn from their wicked ways to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant. Then we hope they will no longer walk in sin but now they will walk in righteousness, and we hope they will lead others to Jesus Christ, too.
For this is the way in which evil is conquered, by the power of prayer, in the power of God, and by exposing the evil for what it is, and by teaching the truth of the gospel which is able to save souls from hell. For fretting over evil and over evildoers never changes anything, and it only makes us sick at heart and unproductive spiritually. So, instead of fretting, we pray, and we commit our ways to the Lord Jesus, and we pray for wisdom and direction in knowing what to do and what to say, and for discerning spirits, too, so that we do not fall into the traps of the devil and of these evil people.
And then we pursue righteousness and holiness and godly living, and we follow our Lord wherever he leads us in doing and in saying whatever he gives us to say or to do for his glory and honor. We trust the Lord in all things, even when things around us may not be so good, and we continue to do the good he has called us to do. Regardless of the evil going on all around us we delight ourselves in the Lord and in his Word and in being his servants and messengers. And we put everything in his hands and we trust him with what he is allowing in our lives, that he will work it all out for good.
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
There are many evil people in this world. And some of them are people who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and some of them are pastors and elders of church congregations (or of what is falsely being called “church”). Many trusted people in this world are nefarious at heart and are those who profess one thing outwardly but while secretly they are plotting evil against those who they have professed to love and to care for and who are those they are supposed to watch over and to protect.
In other words, there are many wolves in sheep’s clothing out there in the world and in the gatherings of what is called “church.” They give an outward appearance of one thing, and therefore they are trusted, but in reality that is not who they are at all. But many people are following them blindly, because they are following what is seen on the outside, and so they are not testing these people to see if they really are who they claim to be. And so, as Christians, we should be praying for discernment in these matters.
But on the flip side of that, those of us who are aware of these evil people and of their evil plots against us should not fret ourselves because of them, and because of their evil plots against us. Now this is not saying that we have arrived in this, and that there is no way we are trusting those who are truly evil at heart, but there are a lot of people who are following other people blindly without realizing the evil of their hearts and deeds. And then there are those whose eyes have been opened to see the evil lurking.
But then we have another situation at hand and that is that many of these people who are following blindly these wolves in sheep’s clothing are also those who are rejecting the Lord’s true servants and messengers. And it is because they are deceived into believing the lies and into rejecting the truth that they are calling what is pure evil good, and they are calling what is truly righteous evil. And so they are shutting out the truth in favor of the lies and they are following these evil people while rejecting the godly of this world.
And so, as we see these various situations taking place, and we see people following those who are truly evil while rejecting the godly; and while we see evil people disguising themselves as good and as servants of righteousness in order to deceive the masses; and when we see evil people being successful in their evil ways, while we see the godly being persecuted and cast aside; and while we see so many people being deceived by the lies while they are rejecting the truth of the Scriptures, we are not to fret over these situations, but we are to commit them to the Lord in prayer.
And not only must we not fret and worry, but we are to be still before the Lord, and we are to wait patiently for him to act. For all who practice evil are going to be judged by God for the evil they have committed, and they will perish in their sins unless they turn and they repent and they follow the Lord Jesus with their lives. And that is a possibility we should be praying for, because Jesus died on that cross to save sinners from their sin. And we are supposed to be loving and praying even for our enemies, and doing good to them, and saying to them what is beneficial for them (blessing them).
Psalms 37:3-6 ESV
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Now, we are certainly not to ignore evil, and we should be those who are exposing the evil that is going on in the world and within the gatherings of what is called “church.” But we should also be those who are proclaiming the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that many may come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior, and so they will turn from their wicked ways to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant. Then we hope they will no longer walk in sin but now they will walk in righteousness, and we hope they will lead others to Jesus Christ, too.
For this is the way in which evil is conquered, by the power of prayer, in the power of God, and by exposing the evil for what it is, and by teaching the truth of the gospel which is able to save souls from hell. For fretting over evil and over evildoers never changes anything, and it only makes us sick at heart and unproductive spiritually. So, instead of fretting, we pray, and we commit our ways to the Lord Jesus, and we pray for wisdom and direction in knowing what to do and what to say, and for discerning spirits, too, so that we do not fall into the traps of the devil and of these evil people.
And then we pursue righteousness and holiness and godly living, and we follow our Lord wherever he leads us in doing and in saying whatever he gives us to say or to do for his glory and honor. We trust the Lord in all things, even when things around us may not be so good, and we continue to do the good he has called us to do. Regardless of the evil going on all around us we delight ourselves in the Lord and in his Word and in being his servants and messengers. And we put everything in his hands and we trust him with what he is allowing in our lives, that he will work it all out for good.
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
