Ultimate Accountability

There are many people who are sincere Christians and even pastors who have no accountability in their lives.  Being accountable means you must give an account for yourself.

Accountability Questions
Here are some accountability questions in God’s Word:

Peter’s Questions to Ananias and Saphira
But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."  (Act 5:3-4)

Peter asked Ananias four accountability questions:

1. Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?
2. While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own?
3. And after it was sold, was it not under your control?
4. Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart?

Peter also questioned Sapphira:
And Peter responded to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?" And she said, "Yes, that was the price." Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well."  (Act 5:8-9)

He asked Sapphira two accountability questions:
1. Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?
2. Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?

The rich man asked an accountability question to the manager
Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. "And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'”  (Luk 16:1-2)

The rich man (employer) asked the manager (employee) one accountability question:
What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management!

God’s accountability questions to Adam and Eve
Accountability is something that is found all throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.  In the Garden of Eden, after they sinned God asked:

And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Gen 3:11-13)

God did not question the serpent, through which satan was operating, since satan was already condemned for rebellion and was notorious for that. He had already fallen beyond any hope of repentance, so there was no point in questioning him.  Yet God did ask questions of Adam and Eve.  Not only did God ask them questions, but He sentenced them for their sin after He cursed the serpent.

The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."  (Gen 3:14-19)

Man is Accountable for His Fellow Man
Man has always been and always will be accountable to God for his fellow man.  God said to Noah:

“And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.” (Gen 9:5-6)

God will demand an accounting from each man for the life of his fellow man, for God has made mankind in the image of God.  This is why God instituted the death penalty.  The Law required the death penalty for various acts, including murder (Exodus 21:12), kidnapping (Exodus 21:16), bestiality (Exodus 22:19), adultery (Leviticus 20:10), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), being a false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:5), prostitution and rape (Deuteronomy 22:24), and several other crimes. God takes these things very seriously.

God not only holds man accountable for the physical death of his fellow man, but also his spiritual destruction as well. He said to Ezekiel:

"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. "When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. "Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.” (Eze 3:17-19)

God warned Ezekiel that He would hold him accountable for the blood of the wicked if he failed to warn them and they die in their iniquity.  He repeated this again:

“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand. Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.” (Eze 33:6-9)

The apostle Paul alluded to this when He said, “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” (Act 20:26-27)

The reason Paul was innocent of any man’s blood is that he did not neglect to preach the whole counsel of God to warn them.  Are you preaching the whole counsel of God?  Are you warning your fellow man, so that he will not perish?  Elsewhere we read:

“But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’"  (Act 18:5-6)

Paul declared to the Jews who resisted him and blasphemed that their blood would be upon their own heads, since he made a good faith effort to warn them.

All Men Accountable to God
Not only are all men and women accountable to God for the life of their fellow man, but for everything we do while in the body.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2Co 5:10)

"But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken." (Mt 12:36)

“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds.” (Rom 2:5-6)

“But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God…So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:10-12)

Peter warned of the coming judgment, as well, when we will all give an account to God:

“For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,” (2Pe 3:5-14)

And in the Revelation given to the apostle John, we see that there is an eternal judgment coming:

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.” (Rev 20:13)

Putting it All Together
So all men are accountable to God. Many people today feel that since we are in the age of grace, accountability is minimized or completely removed for believers, but it's not true.  If anything, it is greater now than under the Old Covenant (see Heb 2:2-3). Accountability is not just an Old Testament practice, but also one that is found in the New Testament.  And God not only holds us accountable for taking the life of our fellow man, He also holds us accountable for the blood of people who perish in sin, because we failed to warn them. In fact, He holds us accountable for every deed we do, whether good or bad, and every empty word we speak.

This is a sobering warning that gives you an opportunity to repent now for any failures on your part, and to cry out for God’s mercy.  Jesus Christ died on the cross to save sinners, and if you will confess your sin to Him, asking for mercy, you can be forgiven.  But more importantly you need to know Him and commit to living for Him for the rest of eternity, since that is what you were created for.  It is the only way you will experience the love, joy, and peace that you were created to enjoy throughout eternity with God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Image of judgment seat of Christ courtesy of River of Life MD.

Author's note:  Also see Accountable, correctable, and teachable, Is Obedience Optional?, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Salvation with Fear and Trembling, Life is Short. Eternity is Not., Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, and The Cost of Discipleship. You can access the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Noah's Ark a Type of Christ

Noah's Ark replica in Hong Kong

Did you realize that the ark that Noah built was a type of Christ?

God told Noah, “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.” (Gen 6:14)

The KJV translates it like this: “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.” (Gen 6:14)

So the Lord commanded Noah to “pitch it within and without with pitch.”  The phrase “pitch it…with pitch” contains a verb (pitch) and a noun (pitch).  The Hebrew word for the verb “to pitch” is “kaphar” (pronounced kaw-far'), which means “to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel: - appease, make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).” (Strongs).  So this verb connotes the act of covering, as well as that of appeasing, making atonement, pacifying, and making reconciliation.  One example of the use of the word "kaphar" in the Old Testament is in Leviticus, which says, "'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'" (Lev 17:11). Therefore, when God commanded Noah to cover the ark with pitch, the practical purpose was to make it waterproof, thereby preventing leaks and keeping it afloat in the flood, which symbolized the atonement of Christ that pacified the wrath of God and made reconciliation for all who believe in Him. 

Interestingly the Hebrew noun in the phrase “pitch it…with pitch” is “kopher” (pronounced ko'-fer), meaning, “properly a cover, that is, (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively a redemption price: - bribe, camphire, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village.” (Strongs).  The black pitch, or bitumen, with which God commanded Noah to cover the ark symbolized figuratively the redemption price that Jesus paid with His own blood on the cross for our sins. The pitch was a type of His blood that was paid as a ransom to satisfy the wrath of God.

These two Hebrew words, “kaphar” and “kopher” in the phrase “pitch it…with pitch” are rich in meaning that typifies the work of Christ on the cross.  When you repent and believe on Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, believing that He died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead, you are forgiven, covered with His blood, and reconciled to God.  Your sin is atoned for, and the wrath of God is pacified.  You are cleansed.  All of these are aspects of the verb “kaphar.”  The blood of Jesus that covers you, just as the “kopher” covering of pitch did for the ark, is able to keep you from perishing in the wrath of God.  And Christ Himself is like the ark that carries us above the flood waters, so that we will not drown. 

God once destroyed the earth by water, and He will once again destroy it by fire. The apostle Peter said,

"For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2Pe 3:5-7)

He has made provision for you to be saved if you will repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  You need to be in Christ the ark, which has been “pitched with pitch”, and remain in Him, so that you will be saved from the wrath of God.

If you already know Christ, be sure you stay in Him, and do not wander away (see Keeping Power of God).  If you have wandered off, then repent and get back inside the ark (see my article Drifting Away).  And if you don't know Him, I plead with you to give your life from Him today, which I explain below, so that you can be saved from the coming wrath (see "Do You Want to Know Jesus?").

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him." (1Pe 3:18-22)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The the ark replica in Hong Kong is the first one ever built according to Biblical proportions, and the photo was taken from the Wall Street Journal article, Hong Kong Christens an Ark of Biblical Proportions.  The "Because I Love You" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see Where will you go when you die?, Few will be saved, Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven, When Earth Recedes and Heaven Opens, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, and The Book of Life.  You can access the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Grace, Mercy, and Peace

As I knelt beside my bed praying this morning, I thought of the Scriptures that say in various forms the phrase, “Grace, mercy and peace be yours in abundance.”  And I thought of how we so need these in abundance. I was also thinking about how the Lord said to the apostle Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." (2Co 12:9a).

Then when I entered my office a few minutes later, I turned on the quiet, instrumental music for devotions, and the first song was, “Your Grace is Enough” by Chris Tomlin. Then my Bible reading for today in 1 Timothy began with the phrase, “To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1Ti 1:2)

So let’s take a look at grace, mercy, and peace, and this wonderful blessing that we can pronounce over one another.

The Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” So Paul said, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2Co 12:9)

Grace is from the Greek word “charis” meaning “benefit, favor, gift, grace, joy, liberality, or pleasure.” (Strongs).

No matter how obedient we are and how much we pursue holiness with the Lord, we all need mercy and grace to help us.  “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16).  He is the God of mercy!  His throne is the throne of grace!

This is probably why the apostles and disciples of the first century often greeted one another with a blessing of grace, mercy, and peace.

“To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (2Ti 1:2)

“Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” (2Jn 1:3)

“May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”  (Jud 1:2)

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.” (1Co 16:23)

“[The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]” (Rom 16:24)

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1Th 5:28)

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” (2Th 3:18)

He said, "O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!" Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, "May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." (Dan 10:19)

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, "Peace be with you." (Joh 20:19)

So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (Joh 20:21)

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." (Joh 20:26)

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” (Rom 16:20)

“I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.” (Col 4:18)

“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. “ (Gal 6:14-18)

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” (2Co 13:14)

“All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.” (Tit 3:15)

“Grace be with you all.” (Heb 13:25)

“Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.” (1Pe 5:14)

"God be With You"
Another beautiful greeting that was used often in the Bible days that is seldom heard any more is “The Lord be with you” or “God be with you.”  When we were in Hungary, I learned the phrase, “Isten veled van” for “God be with you.”  But we never hear this said anymore in America.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we got back to using this biblical greeting!  Let’s see some of the instances where this was said in Scripture:

"Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God,”  (Exo 18:19)

"Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the LORD your God be with you as He was with Moses.” (Jos 1:17)

“Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, ‘May the LORD be with you." And they said to him, "May the LORD bless you.’" (Rth 2:4)

And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you." (1Sa 17:37)

"Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you.” (1Ch 22:11)

"Of the gold, the silver and the bronze and the iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you." (1Ch 22:16)

“The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.” (2Ti 4:22)

“Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” (Rom 15:33)

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!” (2Th 3:16)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "All in the Name of Love" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see By Grace Alone.  You can access the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Life is Short. Eternity is Not.

Life is short.  Eternity is not.  Yet so many people live for this life only and fail to consider where they will spend eternity.  In fact, even among Christians today, the big mistake is that they live a routine life, planned by human beings. Therefore, today I'd like to share the following verses of Scripture, which speak of the brevity of life.

King David said, "My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: 'LORD, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.' Selah. Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.  (Psa 39:3-6, NASB)

Whereas the NASB uses the word "phantom" in verse 6, the GW version says, “Each person who walks around is like a shadow. They are busy for no reason. They accumulate riches without knowing who will get them."  (Psa 39:6, GW)

"Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. You turn man back into dust And say, "Return, O children of men." For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades and withers away. For we have been consumed by Your anger And by Your wrath we have been dismayed. You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days have declined in Your fury; We have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.  (Psa 90:2-12 NASB)

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." (2 Peter 3:8, NIV)

Figuratively speaking if we were to live a life time according to our Lord's thousand years being like a day, the column on the left below would be in God’s time and the column on the right would be in our life time, according and equal to God’s time.

God’s Time = Our Time
1000 years = 24 hours
500 years = 12 hours
250 years = 6 hours
125 years = 3 hours
62 years 6 months = 90 minutes
31 years 3 months = 45 minutes
15 years 7months 2 weeks = 22 minutes 30 seconds
8 years 2 months = 11 minutes 15 seconds

Job said, "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And come to an end without hope.” (Job 7:6 NASB)

"For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because our days on earth are as a shadow."  (Job 8:9 NASB)

"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good." (Job 9:25 NASB)

"Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil. Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.” (Job 14:1-2 NASB)

"For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope."  (1Ch 29:15 NASB)

"Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return."  (Psa 78:39 NASB)

“Remember how short my life is! Have you created Adam's descendants for no reason? Can a mortal go on living and never see death? Who can set himself free from the power of the grave? Selah”  (Psa 89:47-48 GW)

“My days are like a shadow that is getting longer, and I wither away like grass. “ (Psa 102:11 GW)

“Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”  (Pro 27:1 NASB)

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'"  (Jas 4:13-15 NASB)

"A voice says, 'Call out.' Then he answered, 'What shall I call out?' 'All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.'" (Isa 40:6-8 NASB). Cf.,  1Pe 1:24-25.

“As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children,” (Psa 103:15-17 NASB)

“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”  (Heb 9:27 NASB)

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co 4:16-18 NASB)

The things we can see in this world seem so real.  They seem solid and much more tangible than the unseen realm. But in fact this world and the things of it are actually quite temporary, and the things we cannot see are the ones that are more important and eternal.  

Even the mighty mountains and the heavens are temporary, but God who created them is eternal.  He remains, and His years will not come to an end.

“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; and they all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle you will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But you are the same, and your years will not come to an end.”  (Heb 1:10-12 NASB)

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb 13:8 NASB)

“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  (2Co 5:1-10 NASB)

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"  (Joh 11:25-26 NASB)

“And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.’"  (Mar 8:34-38 NASB)

Putting it All Together
Can a mortal go on living and never see death? Who can set himself free from the power of the grave? Life is short! Man at his best is a mere breath, just a wind that passes and does not return. He is like a flower that withers -- like grass!

Each person is like a shadow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Our days are as handbreadths. Our lifetime is as nothing in God’s sight – like a two-hour story.

Our days flee away swifter than a runner and swifter than a weaver's shuttle. The days of our life contain seventy years or eighty years. For soon life is passed and we fly away.
How transient we are!

It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake and the gospel's will save it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Only one life, twil soon be past.  Only what's done for Christ will last.

While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord, and we prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. We also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.  We walk by faith, not by sight.  We look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.

The word of our God stands forever.   Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. His years will not come to an end. He is the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Him will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Him will never die.  Do you believe this? If you live for Jesus Christ and for righteousness, then when you pass away, what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

We need to pray, "Lord, teach us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.
 
Author's note:  Also see Where will you go when you die?, Few will be saved, Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven, When Earth Recedes and Heaven Opens, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, and The Book of Life.  You can access the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Righteousness by Faith not Law

Although the Law and Prophets have not been abolished, and none of the commandments have passed from the Law (Mt 5:17-19), observing the Law does not justify anyone.  We are justified by faith in Christ alone.

How False Teachers Sneaked In
The apostle Paul tells how false teachers entered the Church in Jerusalem during the first century, teaching justification through the Law.  Paul says that prior to the time when this heresy was introduced, he and Barnabas had brought Titus, a Greek believer, to Jerusalem with them. He met privately with those among the apostles and elders that were of reputation, so that he could share with them the gospel he preached among the Gentiles. Yet none of the Jewish apostles or elders there required Titus to be circumcised.  They apparently had no problem with Titus remaining uncircumcised.

But then some false brethren sneaked into the Church, while Paul was there with Titus, to spy out the liberty that they had in Christ Jesus, in order to bring them into bondage. They wanted to push Paul and Titus back into observing the Law as a means of justification.  Yet Paul refused to yield in subjection to them for even an hour.  Paul states:

“Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.” (Gal 2:1-5)

Peter's Fall from Grace
Although Paul and Titus did not give in to these false brethren, who were Judaizers, they apparently affected the apostle Peter, also known as Cephas. He made the mistake of going back to the Law for a while.  The apostle Paul tells the story of what happened:

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2:11-14)

We learn from Paul that these Judaizers came from James, and were known as the party of the circumcision.  But prior to their arrival in the Church, Peter used to eat with Gentiles. Remember, the Lord revealed to him that he was not to call anything unclean that He had called clean.  The Lord had sent Peter to the Gentile home of Cornelius to preach the gospel and they had all been baptized with the Holy Spirit.  Peter had learned from the Lord that it was not a problem for him to associate with Gentiles.  It was only after the entrance of the Judaizers into the Church that Peter yielded in subjection to their heresy. 

When he left his base in Jerusalem to visit Antioch, where Paul was based, Paul noticed that Peter began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.  Out of his fear of what the Judaizers would say of him if he associated with uncircumcised Gentiles, he withdrew from them, even though they were justified believers in Christ. As Peter set the bad example, the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.  It was at that point that Paul saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel and knew he needed to confront Peter publicly to his face.

Paul said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”  In other words, Peter had been living like a Gentile himself, rather than like a Jew as he actually was.  And now through his behavior among the Gentiles he was compelling the Gentiles to live like Jews.  He was compelling them through peer pressure to observe the Law, when Peter, himself a Jew, was not even observing.  This was clearly hypocrisy, which nullified the grace of God.

What Paul said to Peter in that confrontation teaches us many things.  He said:

"We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." (Gal 2:15-21)

Paul’s first point was that he and Peter were biological Jews who knew that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus.  Even they had believed in Christ Jesus, so that they might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law.  Both Peter and Paul knew that no flesh will be justified by the works of the Law.

Paul’s second point was this: “If, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!” He meant that when a Jew, like he or Peter, seeks to be justified through faith in Christ, they would become aware in the process that they are not observing the Law.  They would be conscious of the fact that they were sinners, breaking God’s Law.  Even so, it did not mean that Christ promotes sin.  He never will. 

Rebuilding What You Have Destroyed
Then Paul likened their Law breaking to the literal process of breaking or destroying something. He said, “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.” In other words, if he or Peter would begin to go back and try to reconstruct, or put back together, the Law that they had broken when they sought justification by faith in Christ, they would only be proving that they themselves had in fact transgressed the Law and broken it in the first place. 

Dead to the Law
Therefore, he was saying that they should not do so. Instead, it was through the Law that Paul died to the Law, so that he might live to God.  Paul knew that the Law itself would declare him a lawbreaker if he sought to rebuild it after he had broken it.  So he could never turn back to it again, once he sought justification through faith in Christ.  He had died to the Law, so that he might live to God.  There was no other way.

How did Paul die to the Law?  He explained, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” When Paul was baptized into Christ, he died with Christ.  At that point, as a dead man, he became dead to the Law and freed from it.  And from that point, it was no longer Paul who lived, it was Christ who lived in him.  He lived by faith alone in the Son of God, who loved Paul and gave Himself up for him.

This must be our practice as well.  We must die to the Law when we are crucified with Christ.  Then it is no longer we who live, and since we are dead, we cannot observe the Law.  All we can do is live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.  Then it is no longer I myself who lives, but Christ who lives in me.  It’s His life in me that’s setting me free and making me holy.

We must not go back to observing the Law, which is hypocrisy, since we do not actually observe the whole Law, but only certain parts. Doing so nullifies the grace of God, and those who do so stand condemned like Peter (2:11).  Paul explained how it condemns us when he wrote to the Galatians:

“For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.’ Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.’ However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live by them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’-- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  (Gal 3:10-14)

His first point was that everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them is cursed.  He who practices them shall live by them. It’s all or nothing.  If you seek to perform some things in the Law for the sake of justification, but not all, then you are cursed.  The fact is that the Law justifies no one in the sight of God.  So it is a futile effort to seek to be justified by the Law.  Therefore, don’t put yourself under a curse by trying to be justified that way.

What should we do then?  Since we know the Law is not of faith, our justification will never include observing the Law. The righteous man shall live by faith. Our faith must be in Christ alone.  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Instead of going back to observing the Law as a means of justification, putting yourself under a curse, rather live by faith in Christ.  He became a curse for us, when He hung on that tree, and redeemed us from the curse of the Law.

Freedom in Christ by the Spirit
Praise God, we are free from the Law! So let's not turn back again to observing it and be enslaved by it all over again.  We do not need to be circumcised or observe special days and months and seasons and years. (see Gal 4:9-10)

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Gal 5:1). However, we must not use our freedom as a cover up for evil.  As Paul wrote: "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Gal 5:13)  And as Peter said, "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves." (1 Pe 2:16).

It is possible to be justified by faith in Christ and then live according to the sinful nature, pleasing the sinful nature, and committing acts of the sinful nature.  But those who live like that will ultimately be destroyed, if they don't repent, as Jesus and the apostles taught.  Paul listed some examples of the acts of the sinful nature, and warned that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (see Gal 5:21).

That is why I have already been teaching all along in my other articles that we must obey God and keep His commandments.  What matters is the keeping of the commandments of God (see 1 Co 7:19). But this is done by faith in Christ, as we live by the Spirit, walking in love, living for righteousness, not through the flesh.  As Paul wrote:

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law."  (Gal 5:16-18)

Living by the Spirit and being led by the Spirit is a matter of sowing seeds to please the Spirit, in order to bear the fruit of the Spirit and ultimately reap eternal life. As Paul said:

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." (Gal 6:7-8)

Apart from Christ you can do nothing.  It’s only His life in you that will please the Father, not what you can do for God.  Our obedience must never be an attempt on our part to be justified. But a true disciple will obey the Lord’s commandments, and the Holy Spirit does take from the Law as He leads us in the way to live that is pleasing to God. That is part of being led by the Spirit, taught by God, allowing Him to speak to us through the whole Bible. It is not seeking justification through the Law.

The Risk of Abusing God's Amazing Grace
In fact, the Lord Jesus Himself respected and fulfilled the entire Law.  And now because He lives in us, He works His desires, which are still the same, except for the sacrifices, rituals, ceremonies, food and drink ordinances, observation of special days, week, months, and years, and the separation of Jews and Gentiles. Actually we must fear God even more now than they did under the Old Covenant, because we are being led and evaluated by The Holy Spirit.  Therefore, there is greater risk of abusing God's amazing grace.

This is what the Lord told brother Yong-Doo Kim, whom I have written about previously in my article, Baptized by Blazing Fire -- a Korean church's testimony.  Brother Kim wrote in Baptize by Blazing Fire Book II:

"When God gives us a chance, we must take it, no matter what. Jesus said, 'That particular saint mocked God and troubled the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if she does not mourn and sincerely repent, she will not be entering heaven.  If the judgment of the congregation members is hard, then how much more will I judge the Pastors who are committing adultery? The ministers must repent to the point of death. Currently, the ministers of today are mocking God, they say, "These are the days of grace, and the gospel sets us free, just repent and one will be forgiven unconditionally!" These are the days one needs to be in fear more than the days of the Old Testament.' The Lord warned us that the day is coming when we will all have to give account for our deeds."

Brother Kim continued, "As I write on this chapter, I am experiencing many hours of dismay and dissension. Jesus said, 'Do we then nullify the law by this faith. Not at all! Rather we uphold the law.' (Romans 3:31). In fact, we are living our daily life within the Lord’s amazing grace. However, living in His grace does not mean our sins just disappear. We are abusing God’s grace if we do not repent. A daily repentant life is the fastest and shortest route to God’s mercy and compassion."

Furthermore, when the first century apostles and elders in Jerusalem met to decide the case regarding the Judaizers requiring circumcision of Gentile believers, their final written decision contained provisions taken directly from the Law.  They ended their letter to the Gentiles with the following instructions: "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell." (Act 15:29).  Let's not abuse God's amazing grace!  

The Obedience of Faith
I encourage you to read the other articles I have written on the need for obedience in Working God's Way and Eternal Destinations, as well as right here in Seeking the Lord, especially the following ones, beginning with the first three articles in the left-hand column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship The New Covenant Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? The Law is Good if Used Lawfully The Ways of Life

The Obedience of Faith Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe?               The Flesh vs. the Spirit

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  Also see The Spirit's Law of Life, The Spirit of the Law, and Baptized with the Spirit. You can access the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Is Tolerance a Virtue?

Jesus Driving Out the Money Changers, Carl Bloch

The world values tolerance, and considers it a virtue.  They tolerate everyone, except the true servants of the Lord, but the Lord Jesus hates that kind of tolerance.  He says we must not tolerate wicked men, and Scripture consistently teaches us not to tolerate wicked men in the Church.

Tolerating Wicked Men
In His message to the angel of the Church in Ephesus, the Lord commended him for not tolerating wicked me.

“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.” (Rev 2:2-3)

In Rev 2:2, the word tolerate is from “bastazo” meaning “to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.): - bear, carry, take up” (Strongs). It is used to refer to tolerating wicked men, which God hates.  It is also used to mean bearing the name of Jesus and carrying your cross.  It is used of the beast of Rev 17 bearing the prostitute on its back.

The apostle Paul also taught that we must not tolerate wicked men in the Church.

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” (1Co 5:9-13)

He clarified that he was not referring to those in the world who are wicked, but those so-called brothers or believers in Christ who were wicked. That is the standard of heaven for the Church that we must follow today. 

Bearing Your Own Cross
Such people who live like that are not carrying their own cross.  Jesus said, "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luk 14:27; cf. Mt 10:38).

The word “carry” is from “bastazo” meaning “to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.): - bear, carry, take up” (Strongs). It is used in Rev 2:2.  So while we are on to put up with wicked men in the Church, we are to bear our own cross.  Anyone who does not carry his own cross cannot be a disciple of Christ and is not worthy of Him.

Bearing Your Own Burden
“For each one will bear his own load.” (Gal 6:5).  This most likely also refers to carrying one’s own cross.

The word “bear” here is “bastazo” which we have seen was used in Rev 2:2.  It is also used in Gal 6:2.

Bearing One Another’s Burdens
“Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2)

Bearing the Lord’s Name
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."  (Act 9:15-16)

This is what the Lord told Ananias, when He commanded him to go and lay hands on Saul of Tarsus.  The word “carry” is from “bastazo” meaning “to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.): - bear, carry, take up” (Strongs). Saul, who would later become the apostle Paul, was going to bear the name of Jesus around the entire Roman Empire. This word “bastazo” is used in Rev 2:2 to refer to tolerating wicked men, which God hates. 

Bearing His Burden
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Mat 11:28-30)

The word for burden here is “phortion,” meaning “a task or service – a burden” (Strongs).  Perhaps you have not considered this, but when you come to Jesus, He has a burden for you to bear, which is His burden.  His burden is light, and He is in the yoke with us helping us bear that burden.  Do you have the Lord’s burden?

“But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them--I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.” (Rev 2:24-25)

The word for burden here is “baros,” meaning “figuratively a load, abundance, authority: - burden (-some), weight” (Strongs).

The Beast Carries the Harlot
The apostle John saw a scarlet beast carrying a harlot.

And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. (Rev 17:3-8)

The word for “carries” is from “bastazo” meaning “to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.): - bear, carry, take up” (Strongs). It is used in Rev 2:2 with regard to tolerating wicked men. 

Tolerating Jezebel
The apostle John also delivered to the angel of the Church in Thyatira a message from the Lord:

"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 'I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 'But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.’” (Rev 2:18-20)

The word for tolerate here is “aphiemi” meaning “to send forth, in various applications: - cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up” (Strongs). 

It is the same word used by the Lord when He commanded His disciples to permit the children to come to Him. “But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mar 10:14). 

This same word is used in Mat 19:14, where this same incident is described, and instead of saying “permit the children,” it is translated “let the children alone.”

Whereas the Lord commended the church in Ephesus, because they did not tolerate wicked men, He reproved the angel of the church in Thyatira, because he tolerated a woman named Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess. In other words, the angel of the church let her be, permitted her, and forgave her.  She was teaching the Lord’s servants in such a way so that they committed acts of immorality and ate things sacrificed to idols.  The Lord was very displeased about this sin and punished it.  We must not tolerate anyone that teaches in such a way as to lead to immorality or eating food sacrificed to idols.  The world would view this as intolerance, but we must not simply let such a person be or allow them to continue such sinful teaching. 

Jesus is Our Example
Just as Jesus commended one church for not tolerating wicked men, and reproved another for their tolerance, He Himself did not tolerate wicked men during His earthly ministry.  Remember the time he made a whip with cords and drove the money changers out of the temple (see Jn 2:13-17).

His zeal for God's house consumed Him.  And this is why the apostle Paul wrote, "But about the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.'" (Heb 1:8-9).  The Lord still loves righteousness and hates wickedness.

Putting it All Together
Biblical tolerance never puts up with sin.  The church should not be a sanctuary for sin or sinners disguised as Christians. The Lord says we must not tolerate wicked men. The things He expects us to tolerate or bear are His Name, His burden, our own cross, our own burden, and one another’s burdens.

Are you cross-bearing -- "tolerating" your cross -- and removing the wicked from among you, or are you tolerating in the Church those whom the Lord considers to be wicked men?

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. Jesus Driving out the Money Changers, by Carl Bloch. This artwork is in the public domain.

Author's note:  Also see Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Separation from the World, The Apostasy Parables, The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Rachael Mushala Testimony of Hell, Faith Works!, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Keeping Sundays Holy, and Is Tithing Required?

You can access the Seeking the Lord Main Directory or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Disciples’ Prayer

Prayer is the disciple’s life connection to God.  It’s vital to our relationship with Him.  And yet it is widely overlooked, and its importance is underestimated.  If we understood how vital it is, we would pray more often and more earnestly, and not allow ourselves to be distracted by other things. 

When the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray, He taught them a model prayer to show them the kind of content their prayers should have, as well as how to approach God.

"And it happened as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His disciples.' And He said to them, 'When you pray, say: Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in Heaven, so also on the earth. Give us day by day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'" (Luk 11:1-4, MKJV; cf., Mt 6:9-13)

Teach us to pray
The request of the disciples was, "Lord, teach us to pray."  We can learn to pray from a verbal teaching on prayer, as well as life lessons, which are trials and temptations we go through.  In this instance, He taught them verbally.  But He gave them plenty of other opportunities to learn to pray through trials and circumstances, such as the storm at sea.

Pray like this
Jesus taught them what to pray about and how to approach God in prayer.  He said, "When you pray, say:" In other words, “Pray like this.”

Our Father in heaven
“Our Father in heaven.” (v. 2). Address the heavenly Father reverently and lovingly, as “Our Father in heaven.” He also did not say to pray to Mary, but our heavenly Father.

Hallowed be Your name
“Hallowed be Your name.” (v. 2). As you approach God, praise, magnify, and exalt His holy name.  We enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts, and come into His courts with praise (Ps 100:4).

Your kingdom come
“Your kingdom come.” Seek first His kingdom (see Lk 12:31; Mt 6:33).  His kingdom is the royal realm where He has absolute and universal dominion.  It’s where He rules and reigns. It’s God’s Divine Government over which He has supreme administration.

When you pray for God’s kingdom to come, you are praying for Him as the sovereign King to come and live and rule in your heart.  The government of God’s kingdom is on Jesus’ shoulders (Is 9:6). He is the King of kings (Re 19:16; cf., Re 17:14; 1 Ti 6:15). There can only be one king on the throne inside your heart.  As Him to come and take His place on the throne.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
“May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (v. 2). In heaven God’s will goes unchallenged and is always done. On earth there are many enemies of God and hindrances to block his will. His will is best.  When you pray like this, then it will guide you to pray in His will.  And even if you make a mistake and pray outside His will, He will know that you asked for His will to be done, so He will answer it according to His will, rather than how you wanted it.

When you do God's will, that is one way this prayer of your will be answered.  He said, "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Mar 3:35).  He also said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." (Luk 11:27-28). 

Jesus prayed for the Father’s will, when it was contrary to His own (Mt 26:39-42).  This is what we must do also, following our Lord's example. His will is what we live for, not our own. This is critical, because of the power of the will. Live your life for the will of God.  Live according to His will. (1 Pe 4:1-6).  The one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 Jn 2:17). His will us holy, righteous, perfect, and true.

Give us each day our daily bread
“Give us each day our daily bread.” (v.3). Once you have first sought God's kingdom, His will, and His righteousness, then you can bring your petitions before His throne.  Ask for what you need today.
Don’t worry about your needs for tomorrow and next week and next month. It’s all right to pray about those, but don’t worry about them, because God is able to handle all your needs each day, if you ask Him to.

Notice that he used the expression “daily bread.”  He did not expect you to have enough bread stockpiled for months to come. He also did not expect you to live luxuriously on food fit for a king.  Sometimes we are blessed with plenty, but let us not forget share it with others.  And if all we have is bread to eat, then we know the Lord has answered our prayer and He provided it.

The meals our Lord ate and fed to others were simple meals like a piece of fruit, or a fish, and some bread.  On a feast day like Passover, then there was more to eat and drink like lamb and wine.  Our daily bread also represents our basic necessities that we need for each day, such as clothing and shelter.

Some people wait until the end of their day to pray.  Sometimes it will happen this way, because of your schedule, but it is not wise to make it your routine.  How can you ask for what you need today at the end of your day?

When you pray, “Give us each day our daily bread,” and you are thinking about future days ahead, the fact is you still must ask.  The Lord instructed us to ask the Father for everything we need. Of course, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Mt 6:8b)  Yet you still need to ask Him.

Forgive us our sins
“Forgive us our sins.” (v. 4). We have all sinned, and we all stumble in many ways.  We need to repent daily, because we commit so many sins, often without knowing it.  We need to ask God for forgiveness, believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sin, and rose from the dead, victorious over sin and death.

In order to be forgiven, you must repent sincerely from your sin, and confess it.  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1Jn 1:9)  Cry out for mercy. “Lord, have mercy on me!” and pray for the Lord to have mercy on others, too.  We need the God's mercy much more than we realize!

We also forgive everyone who sins against us
“We also forgive everyone who sins against us.” (v. 4)  This is another condition in order for us to be forgiven. We must forgive, because if we do not forgive, God will not forgive us.  "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Mat 6:14-15)  The spirit of unforgiveness will lead you down to hell. Release those who are indebted to you.

Lead us not into temptation
“Lead us not into temptation.” (v. 4).  He taught us to pray and ask the Father not to lead us into temptation. He told us to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:40-41).

We sometimes feel confident that we can withstand the temptations that lie ahead of us in life without praying much, or without praying at all.  Yet even Jesus had to pray, and often spent the whole night in prayer.  He was tempted by the devil (Mt 4). He was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15). Temptation is common and every temptation is a common one

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1Co 10:12-13, NASB)

Don’t become complacent, thinking you stand. That's just the pride that comes before a fall.  Rather take heed lest you fall!

God does not tempt us. James said, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (Jas 1:13-15)

Deliver us from evil
“Deliver us from evil” and some versions say “deliver us from the evil one.” (v. 4) The word “deliver” is from the Greek word rhuomai, meaning to rescue or deliver.  This is the same as crying to God, “Rescue us! Deliver us!”  And when you personalize it, then you should cry out, “Deliver me! Save me! Lord, save my soul!”  Or if you are sick, you should cry out, “Lord, heal me!”

Only God can deliver you, save your soul, set you free, and heal you by the power that is in Jesus’ name.  All power is in that name. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Ac 4:12)

The entire prayer is for “us” not me. That doesn’t mean you cannot pray for yourself.  You should pray for yourself, and when you come to Christ, you must pray for yourself.  But we must pray for others, too, and not just ourselves.

The devil is so evil and does so much more than we realize with the purpose to harm us.  He comes to kill, steal, and destroy people.  Jesus knew the devil would continue to do that, so He instructed us to pray for deliverance.

Disciples’ Prayer and Sinner's Prayer
This is called “The Lord’s Prayer,” but it is actually the “Disciples’ Prayer.” (Lk 11:1).  It is also a “Sinner’s Prayer.”  A person could pray this prayer sincerely from their heart to give their life to Jesus and be saved, as long as they repent of their sin, believe that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, and that He rose from the dead.

If you want to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, this is how you should pray. And if you want to grow as a disciple, this is how to pray. This was also “The Lord’s Prayer,” except He never needed to ask forgiveness (Heb 4:15).  But I am sure He needed to forgive others.

Notice how concise this prayer is.  There is so much meaning packed into so few words.

Putting it All Together
Learn to pray the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray.  He will also give you life experiences to learn how to pray, so be sure you don’t miss those practical opportunities.

Pray to God, the Father in heaven in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Approach Him with reverence, awe, and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  Begin with praise and thanksgiving, just pouring out your love on Him and adoring Him.

Always put God’s concerns ahead of your own, and ahead of any petitions you may bring to Him.  There may be times where you have an emergency and you cry out to God for help without spending time in praise and thanksgiving, but normally you should take the time to do this first.

Begin with blessing Him, and His name, and seeking His kingdom, His righteousness, His will in your life to be done just as it is in heaven.  Ask the Lord to reign in your heart as King.  Lay your life on the alter as a living sacrifice to Him. That pleases the Father.  If that is your heart’s greatest desire, then all the requests you make of Him after that will be in accordance with His will.  If not, then He will know that you want His will above all else, so He will answer it according to His will.

After you have put the Lord and His concerns first, then bring your concerns to Him for yourself and others.  Bring all those petitions and requests before His throne, knowing that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Remember to repent daily and ask forgiveness, as well as forgive others.  Pray away those temptations the devil has planned for you and others.  Pray for salvation and deliverance and healing. And remember, everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door shall be opened.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Prayer Warrior" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's Note:  If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like Lifting Hands in Prayer, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Crying Out to God Loudly.   I also invite you to visit the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, and my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question. 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.