Psalm 15: "Who really goes to Heaven?"

Psa 15:1  A Psalm of David. Jehovah, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill?

In Psalm 14 David points out that it is a fool who says in his heart "There is no god!" (Psa. 14:1). Now, here in Psalm 15, David is going to show us an even greater fool - The individual who deludes them self into thinking they belong in heaven when they die simply because they acknowledged Him!

David may have been standing on a balcony on the royal palace overlooking the massive throngs of people flocking in to worship Jehovah and wondered..."Who among all of these seemingly 'devout' patrons are genuinely His people?".
We can't blame David for doing this. Which one of us has not done the same thing on any given Sunday morning? Or perhaps we happened upon a Televangelist preaching as we surfed the channels, and stopped to scan his audience wondering... "Who among them are truly God's people?"

Yet David's questions are anything but the musings of an idle mind. No, he seriously wanted to know, if for no other reason than to guard against his own presumptuousness. I think he really did want to know who could possibly be found worthy enough to walk the corridors of heaven in Jehovah's holy presence.

Remember David's prayer?

    "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." (Psa 19:13)

Make no mistake about: To delude oneself into believing you belong in the dwelling place of Almighty God, and all of His holy angels when your conduct is unbecoming to such... Is grossly PRESUMPTUOUS.

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In verses 2 through 5, we can almost imagine David reciting a "checklist" of sorts, which every Jewish male would have been taught from "womb to tomb", and been expected to recite in their sleep. But knowing a thing is not the same as being a thing, is it?
A true saint... one of Jehovah's elect, would know all of these things intuitively, even before being taught them by rote. I hesitate to use the term "intuit" since many think it means to operate by one's emotions, and that is anything but what I mean. It is, by traditional definition, something we do almost without thinking, like breathing; we do it because we instinctively know we must!
And so it is with the child of God - We instinctively "know in our knowers" that the one true God requires us to be HOLY; without which... No man shall see Him. (Heb. 12:14)

Now it is to this point and no further that our intuition can take us. Knowing that one needs to be holy does not instruct us on how to be holy; for that, we need to learn via God's Word, His Holy Spirit, and of course our life experiences. Even Jesus in his humanity is said to have need of this life experience; i.e...

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted." (Isa 7:14-16)

And the New Testament reaffirms this...

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." (Luk 2:52)

So take heart, God requires no more of us than that which He has required of all His sons, including His only begotten son - Jesus! Immediately the objection is "Wait! We are not Jesus, possessing both a fully divine nature and a fully human nature in one being! Only he could fulfill the Father's holy requirements!"; and right you are. We do however have His Holy Spirit within us, directing us. And we His Word to guide us. And despite how many times we fail in the attempt, our heavenly Father will never cast us down. He reckons Jesus success to our credit, and only requires us to learn how to live in his spirit. If heaven is to be our home, we'd better learn how to live there!

Let's look at the list of things David cites as being the character of one who belongs in heaven.

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Psa 15:2 "He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart."

Like the universe itself, which consists of Time, Space, and Matter; so too is the Christian religion a tripartite whole, which, if any single part is neglected or removed, the whole falls apart. We must - Walk the walk; Talk the talk; and Do the Deeds commensurate which our professed inward beliefs. This is that "true and holy" religious life James speaks of in his epistle. (Jas. 1:26,27)

Neither Jesus, or any of his apostles ever railed on religion the way we hear many misguided persons do today. Oh, to be sure, they all spoke out against religious hypocrisy, and false religions; but none of them denounced religion altogether! They were all very religious men whose examples we are encouraged to follow. What a ridiculous thing of Paul to say "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1Co 11:1) if we did not have the record of the life he exemplified! If Paul merely had a "relationship" with Jesus, how are to know of it if he did not leave us a record of how it effected his walk, talk, and work? Let's not be stupid here. Your religion PROVES your relationship, just as much as a spouse's behavior, speech, and deeds proves their love for their partner! Tell your wife that you "love her" without manifesting it in your walk, talk, and deeds; and see how that works out. No, you need to give her some of that "Old Time Religion" where marriage relationships are concerned.

Listen, when we speak of a person's "religion", we are referring to those outward evidences of their professed inner convictions; i.e. - Their walk, talk, and works.
As such, the person who claims they are not religious is nearly as foolish as the one who says there is no god. Every person is "religious", that is, they have inner spiritual convictions which direct their walk, talk, and work; it's an inescapable part of our nature!
What we must beware of is the hypocritical misapprehension some have about what what being "religious" entails. The Apostle James rebukes one case type who seemed to think it sufficient to merely "talk the talk" while not walking the walk, or working the works. In such a case, what you have is a one-legged stool no-one can comfortably perch on for very long! No, true religion and undefiled... or "holy" we might say, is having all three legs of the stool firmly in place: Talking, walking, and working.

• Our Talk - Is what we profess to believe.

• Our Walk - Is how our belief effects our choices & behavior.

• Our Work - These are the good works we now do, not to earn our acceptance with God,but to evidence our gratitude in being accepted by Him, by in turn, being gracious towards others who likewise may not deserve it.

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Now as we turn to examine the things David lists for us, we must keep in mind that they are just a sample listing of examples of the kinds of walk, talk, and actions a heaven-bound individual should not be engaged in.

Psa. 15:3 "He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour."

Back-biting: Speaking evil of someone behind their back;i.e. - slander. The Scriptures tell us "A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends." (Pro 16:28), and so is the one who slanders another behind their back.

Evil speech & actions against our neighbors: Too numerous to list are the passages in God's Word where he addresses how we should, and should not treat our neighbors. In summation, we are COMMANDED to "Love thy neighbor as thyself", which precludes such things as slander and other treacherous behaviors. What is meant by a "neighbor"? We all have brothers (kin), companions (friends), and neighbors (community members) we have a responsibility to look out for and LOVE. Our "neighbors" are those who live in the same communities as us, and who rely upon us for their mutual support & safety. It's no small thing with God when we betray that sacred duty.

Psa. 15:4 "...in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change..."

Despising the "vile": This does not mean what the average, self-righteous, individual would think it to mean. In their minds they might be thinking -"Oh yeah, I despise those 'vile' homeless people who clutter up our streets. They smell, and live like trolls!". Quite to the contrary... and especially harboring such hateful condescension as that... it is speaking of THEM. Them, and all those whose unrepentant and sinful lifestyles are "vile" and repugnant to a holy God. They may be the most highly esteemed celebrities in the world, but in the eyes of God and His people they are "despised";i.e. - "dis-esteemed". The "love the sinner - hate the sin" crowd simply cringe when they hear the words of David... a man truly after God's own heart... say things like, "Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee?" (Psa 139:21) If it weren't so sad, it would be comical to watch them rush to explain away and soften the import of David's words.

"...who honors those who fear the LORD...": Concurrent with their abhorrence for the vile pop celebrities of the world, the elect esteem & honor those who likewise fear the Lord. It's easy enough to spot, expose, and denounce the reprobates of the world; they're everywhere! Whether it be on the TV, radio, or magazines; 24 hours a day, no matter where you go...there they are! It's actually a somewhat more difficult task to find and identify  the elect of God; especially since today's "Christians" are told it's okay to "blend in", and imitate the fallen culture around them! Well, that's a whole other blog's worth there. In any case, when we do find other who likewise honor & fear God, we should honor, praise and support them.

"...who swears to his own hurt and does not change...": While all of the aforementioned things define the character God is looking for in His people, nothing really testifies of it more loudly than our personal integrity in keeping our word. There once was a time in America, not so long ago, when our ethics defined us as a people. One of those exceptional Americanisms was... "A man's word is his bond". Truth be told...we got that from the Bible. God despises liars and oath-breakers. So much so, He goes out of His (so to speak) to punish them! If you're one of those are in the habit of glibly saying "I promise, I'll do it!", or "You have my word on it", BEWARE, you'd better do as promised or the consequences will surprise you! Read Ecclesiastes 5:4-6, and then ask yourself "Is THIS why so much of what I attempt to do is frustrated?" The New Testament does nothing to ease the seriousness of being an "oath-breaker", Jesus warned those contemplating divorce for un-scriptural cause it would be oath-breaking to do so. (Matt. 5:33, 34) It would be better you did not make an oath at all. And here is where the Church has failed so miserably, because rather than reinforce a person's scriptural duty to keep their oaths, they have helped them find all sorts of "loopholes" and "exception clauses", because after all... "God doesn't want any of His children to suffer or be unhappy". Yet the fact remains: They swore an oath, and the fact that it may have brought them some temporary suffering in this life, does NOT change the fact that God requires them to keep it! If anyone would have been left off the hook for making a rash vow, it would have been Jephthah. If you haven't heard of him before, I strongly encourage you to read his story in Judges chapter 11. Jephthah's integrity cost him the life of his daughter, which is why we should be careful to heed God's warning "You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth." (Deu 23:23)

Psa 15:5 "...who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved."

"...who does not put out his money at interest...": This pertains to making loans to a fellow Christian, or family member, while charging interest for it. Believers have the freedom to makes loans at interest to strangers, invest in stocks, bonds, etc; but never to family or brethren. "You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it." (Deu 23:20)

"...does not take a bribe against the innocent.": When most folks hear the word "bribe", they thing of a monetary or material inducement to sway another person's judgments, actions, and decisions to give them a more favorable outcome; if it is a criminal one. The Hebrew word here is "shachad" ; a donation [bribe, gift, present, reward.], and we see many circumstances where it is applied. Yet in all 23 cases where it is used, it is always used in a negative sense, to accomplish an evil result. Common examples we see today where the Biblical definition of "schachad" (bribe) would apply would be where we have a policeman carrying out unlawful and un-Constitutional actions against innocent Citizens, under "color of authority", because they fear losing their jobs more than they care for doing what is just and righteous. The same can be said of soldiers, politicians, and bureaucrats. Speaking through the prophet Micah, God lamented such oppressiveness as the Nation of Israel neared it's end... "The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together." (Mic 7:2-3) In such times, being righteous also means being marked out as "easy prey" to such oppressors.

"He who does these things shall never be moved": That of course is not speaking of those who put their own financial gain and security above their integrity, but rather speaks of those few of us who chose the eternal weight of glory which will never fade or grow corrupt, over that temporal one they so desperately clamor after, only to have taken from them in the end. Their world, and all of it's gaudy attractions is rapidly approaching it's fiery end... and they sense it. Even now, the shaking has begun; and soon, all those things which are not solidly founded on the Word of God, will be shaken apart, and come crashing down. Speaking of these things, the Apostle writes... "At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made--in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe..." (Heb 12:26-28)

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It is my genuine hope that in studying this short, yet poignant Psalm together you have been challenged, encouraged, and enlightened. If you have found that perhaps you have been presuming that you're heaven-bound when in fact your character is more appropriate to hell; then it is my earnest prayer that you will approach God in prayer with this concern right now... don't put it off... and ask Him to forgive you your sin of presumption, just like David, and set your feet back on the right path. Memorize the simple yet powerful truths found in this Psalm: Walk it - Talk it - Do it.
In my own life, I have often been sorely tempted to set aside my heavenly ambitions in order to gain some of the world's "eye-candy", and being weaker than all other men, I well know my need for the grace of God to keep me on track. Let me share one passage of pure gold I memorized for such times I would repeat to myself when the Tempter comes. May it bless you, as it has me.

Psa 84:10  "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."

In His love,


Troy

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: What will it look like?

By Troy Frugé 

Strange, isn't it? As a Christian, one of your greatest anticipations is the marriage supper of the Lamb, and yet so few of us know exactly what that will entail. True, there have been a lot of well-meaning speculations as to what it will look like; but few, if any really have much of a Scriptural notion as to what happens there. 

Often times, when anyone tries to ply a "prophecy expert" for more details concerning this event, they often get the much misquoted "...no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him", lifted from it's context in 1 Cor. 2:9. I say "misquoted" and "lifted" because had they quoted the entire contextual passages, they would have read...

"1Co 2:7-10
(7)  But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
(8)  None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
(9)  But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"--
(10)  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God."

And so the truth is, while those in and of the World are kept in the dark regarding those things God has promised to his own; we have not been! This was precisely Paul's point say "...we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God". Who is it a hidden secret to? The Lost!

True, there are some things which God in his wisdom chooses to keep secret from us (Deut. 29:29), but this is not one of them. So let's look at what we can know, and compare it to what we think we know, shall we?

In case you didn't get the "Memo"...

In case you missed it: Count yourself "blessed".
Yesterday was October the 21st, 2011. A date, which the now thoroughly discredited Mr. Harold Camping had once again set as being the "End of the World" in an apocalyptic nightmare.

Yeah, we know... He said all this before; several times in fact; so who on earth could be taking him seriously?

Well, as the great showman P.T. Barnum used to say, "There's a sucker born every minute", and so there's never a short supply of those Johnny-come-lately "suckers" who Mr. Camping can spell-bind into his following. 
You must remember - His so-called "Family Radio" is still a very powerful medium, which he continues to use rather effectively. He's rather reminiscent of Adolph Hitler actually... issuing orders to phantom armies... broadcasting lying propaganda messages to the German people from his Reich-stag bunker... even after all hope for his evil empire was crumbling around him. Like Hitler, Mr. Camping refuses to repent, let alone acknowledge his wrongs. No, he will not go until literally rooted out of his bunker. Needless to say: Such a man is most DANGEROUS. He's got his own theological "scorched earth" policy which has harmed thousands of people who may never listen to a "preacher" again. And he won't be contented until he has burned every last soul he can influence.

Signs of Mr. Camping's megalomania and apostasy began to emerge long ago. Did you know he was once a "Teaching Elder" with a mainline Christian denomination? Yep, it's true! And I can tell you this: It's not easy to become a "Teaching Elder" with any mainline reformed Church. They're sticklers about such things as, oh... "sound doctrine", avoiding "vain speculations", and "prophetic prognostications". Yes, the Christian (Dutch) Reformed Churches... (at least used to be) very careful about such things.
 
"ENGINEERING THE END-TIMES SCENARIO"

So what happened? Well, here's yet another tale of what all too often happens when you allow someone who has not undergone the rigors of training and testing required to ensure that an individual is truly "called of God" to teach and preach His Gospel. 
Mr. Camping never attended a Seminary, neither was he trained in theology. No, he was/is an "engineer". And, well you know how "engineers" love to play with numbers! So it seems Mr. Camping could not stand what he perceived to be such disorder and lack of predictability in Biblical prophesy. Remember, engineers simply hate not being able to crunch-out all of the numbers and make it all fit to their satisfaction! 

And what is it with these "engineers" now-a-days, anyway?! Harold Camping is certainly not the first to try their slide-rule at "rapture-ratios". No, you have guys like Chuck Missler, and "88 Reasons Why the End will come in 1988" - Edgar Whisenant, just to name the more prominent ones. They ALL have brought discredit upon Christ, Christianity, and real Biblical teaching with their repeatedly failed prognostications!
Don't they understand that God is also talking to them when He states....
"...my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."  (Isa 55:8-9)

You just can't figure God out with a slide rule and/or super-computer folks!

I think the seriousness of what these men & women have done, and continue to do cannot be better underscored than by the fact that under Old Testament law, they were to be immediately taken out and stoned to death for even ONE failed "prophecy"; and yet these folks have continued to perpetrate many...and that, I might add...for a sizable profit!
Thankfully, we live in the age of grace, where instead of stoning, we excommunicate such persons from the life of the Church, and so declare to the world they are in fact "false prophets".
Howbeit, the world hardly listens anymore... and few Churches have the ecclesiastical, er..."manhood" to kick-out such "pop-cult prophets".

Men like Mr. Camping are not satisfied with being told - "The SECRET things belong to the Lord..." (Deut. 29:29) And where it concerns the time & date of Christ's return; that is definitely "secret". Jesus himself made that abundantly clear when he said: "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Mat 24:36 ESV)

It is to the eternal credit of the Alameda Christian Reformed Church that they carried out Matthew 18:15-20 with Mr. Camping. And though he refused to heed scriptural Church discipline as laid down by Christ himself; no-one can say that they did not earnestly try to correct this man of his errors and restore him to fellowship.
Mr. Camping of course had been allowed to go on for far too long, and only balked at their attempts to reconcile him to the truth. And it was at this point that he was "defrocked", and removed from his teaching position with them. 
He of course left, in a huff, and by no "coincidence" first began announcing the "End of the Church age", and that "...all Churches were apostate" that very day, which just so happened to be... May 21st, 1988.

Sound familiar? Oh yeah, the Church of Christ is "apostate" now because HE, and his aberrant doctrines are no longer welcome there! Ah yes...shades of Joseph Smith (Mormonism), and Charles Taze Russell (Jehovah's Witnesses), rise up again... False prophets just HATE "accountability", don't ya know.

There's really much more to tell in this story... for those of you "engineers" out there who simply must have all of the dirty details... look here... The Gordian Knot
For me to say more on the particulars than what Pastor Gordon (who knows the intimate details better than I) has to say, would be redundant at this point.
 
WHAT TO DO NOW

Suffice it to say, yet another false prophet and his false prognostications has come & gone; and the world will hopefully be a better, wiser place for it.

And for those of you who may have gotten "caught-up"... Oh garsk! There I go with those painful puns! I'm sorry, forgive me.. it's not the "end of the world" for me to pun is it? Ooops! I did it again! :-o

Well anyway, for those of you who did indeed get suckered-in by Mr. Camping's scripture twisting prognostications; I do feel sorry for you. But I really must ask the painful question: "Didn't you get the 'memo' on this guy?"
No? Well let me see... Ah yes, here its is!

"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will NOT come, unless the rebellion (apostasy) comes first, and The Man of Lawlessness (sin) is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." (2Th 2:1-4)

As this quote from the Apostle Paul reveals, wanna-be "prophets" and prognosticators of the return of Christ and the End times have been with us since early Church times. They are nothing new, though admittedly expected to become more prevalent as the true time of Christ's return nears. All the more reason we should take earnest heed to warnings such as Paul issued us above. That Day CANNOT come until AFTER the great apostasy occurs, and The Man of Sin aka "Anti-Christ" is revealed fully for all to see! And when THAT happens, that's when you can begin to look-up with expectancy for His return will be happening at any time.

The happy conclusion of this is: Christ will assuredly come, but NOT until after the "Man of Sin" is fully revealed, at which point Christ will return, and utterly destroy him, and his followers. It's a promise Christ made, through his true Apostles and not the Harold Campings of the world...

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming..." (2Th 2:8)

Until that blessed day comes, I pray you will hold fast to that form of sound doctrine Christ and his Apostles taught (in the New testament), and not be soon shaken in your understanding and faith by false prophets such as Mr. Harold Camping. (Rom. 6:17; Rev. 3:3)

And if you should need help with understanding any of this, please feel free to contact me. Any and all genuine inquiries will be welcomed.

God bless you one & all.

The Paladin

Like something out of "12 Monkeys"...

Recently escaped from an exotic animal habitat in Ohio, this pair was last seen heading in the direction of the Occupy Wall street mobs. The monkey is said to be a carrier of the deadly virus Hepatitis B, and the public is cautioned to avoid all contact with the two.

What can we say? "Birds of a feather..."

I'm a Grand-Father!

I’m happy to announce the arrival of my first grand-child - "Malachi".

He arrived on Monday, October 17th, at 11:03 pm. Weighing in at 9 lbs., 1 oz., at 21″ he’s strong & healthy.
Mom was not able to deliver conventionally due to his size, so she will be recovering from her “C-section” for some time; but she is well also. As for “Papa” – Well he’s ecstatic to say the least, and he may take some while longer to recover from the shock. hehehe

Hope with Malachi

Malachi Cain

Hope & Nathan w/Malachi in crib

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." (Psa 127:3-5)

Must-see Video! "Agenda: Grinding America Down"

I was so impressed with this trailer, I've just ordered my own copy of this documentary from Amazon for $16. It should be here this Wednesday. I'll do a full review on it once I've seen it.


"Agenda: Grinding America down" (trailer)

Economics -101: "Dumbed-Down" for our Leftist Friends

Silly Liberals...Even kids know Marxism doesn't work, and real working people hate Marxism!

Since most of you cannot tolerate an adult discussion of Capitalism -vs.- Marxism, I have posted this video to help enhance your education. And who better to bring it down to your level than the great Walt Disney? Yes, he was one of those "infamous capitalist" you so love to hate. Yet unlike any Marxist ever known, and thanks to being in a Country where free enterprise and capitalism prevailed; Mr. Disney's entrepreneurial genius has brought joy & happiness to billions of children and adults alike, to this very day. Marxism simply cannot accomplish such great things for mankind.