Lying Vanities

Jonah 2:8
They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.
Lying Vanities

What is a lying vanity? That is what I wanted to know as the first half of this scripture was coming up in my spirit this morning. As I pursued this phrase I found the scripture in Jonah 2:8, “They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.” Other translations state it this way; “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” We often think of idols as those false gods of wood and stone that pagans worship, but in truth it can be anything that is not God focused and of eternal value. When we look at our lives, our ambitions and our priorities in light of this definition most of us would have to admit that there are probably a lot of lying vanities in our lives. So much of our lives are caught up in the temporal and temporary things that consume our time and energy but produce no lasting or eternal results. Lying Vanities, these are the idols that get our eyes off of our kingdom purpose and distract us from our true destiny. Their rewards are like a breath that is fleeting and quickly vanishes away. For many that lying vanity is the wealth of this world. Proverbs 13:11 says, “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” Wealth in itself is not a bad thing, but our wealth should be a God thing. When we are pursuing “getting rich quick” it is wealth received by vanity and it doesn’t last. What we obtain through our faithful labor and acknowledgement of the Lord shall be blessed. Our true increase comes from our faithful service to the Lord. When He is the center of our world and the object of our time and pleasure then He is our reward. Our lives are then about the Father’s business, rather it is in the market place or in church, He is the reason we live, we move and have our being.
As I was having a business meeting with the Father this morning, He has been speaking to me that true wealth is found in love. I had been thinking of ways of business built upon man’s basic needs, such as food, security, sex, sleep and the basic things man needs and depends upon. What I heard the Father say was, “The greatest need man has is love.” We all have the need to be loved. Love is what gives us worth and value. At the time I thought “love?” how can that be a business concept. True love is something that you give away; it is not something that you get. That is where I am wrong. True love, given away, produces a greater harvest of that which is given. True love, God’s love, is not a lying vanity, but an eternal reality. It is what humanity needs most in this life, as well as in the life to come. Only true God lovers can give forth the true love of God. God’s love is what sweeps away the lying vanities that have caused us to forsake His mercy and grace.
It is a time for a new paradigm and way of thinking. My needs are met as I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all of these things shall be added unto me. Our mistake is that we have been putting these lying vanities in front of God’s kingdom, thus we have forsaken our own mercy and blessings. Love is the currency of the God’s kingdom, not the vanities of this world. When we deal in His currency it will affect our temporal lives, as well as our eternal lives. It is time to take these lying vanities, whatever form they take, and put them behind us, for they are considered idols to our God. It is a new day and our heart is to walk in Kingdom ways, to openly be the expression of His love as Christ is expressed through us.

Blessings,
#kent

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Affections of the Heart

Colossians 3:1-2
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Affections of the Heart

The fixations and affections of your heart are the making of your soul. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he. (Proverbs 23:7)” ‘Where your treasure is there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:21)’
What is the desire and passion of our heart today? What are we fixed on and what is driving our lives? We might glibly say, “it’s the Lord”, but do our actions, words and life bear out that truth? Have we laid every other affection, passion and desire upon the altar and said, “have your way oh Lord”? We want our affections to be such that we are clinging to nothing else but the hem of His garment. We can deceive others and we can even deceive ourselves, but we will never deceive the Lord concerning the condition and the affections of our heart. He sees and reads us like an open book. Our words are often not our heart. They may serve only as a disguise for what we want others to think and see.
God has given us a will to choose where we will set our affections and our obedience. What are we choosing in our inward parts? Where are we truly setting our affections? A new life in Christ demands a transformation from the former man of the earth. Our transformation and metamorphosis is taking place as we are hidden in the cocoon of a Christ-centered life where He is our affection and the purpose behind all that we do. It is not done in a moment, but it is done in a process and completed in the twinkling of an eye. In order for the Spirit to have His perfect work we must remain with our affections set upon the things above and maintain a heart that is willing to relinquish all that is not of Him. “Christ in us”, that is our hope of glory.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23-24)

Blessings,
#kent

A Sobering Word from the Lord

Joel 3:9-16
Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say,
“I am strong!”
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD!
12 “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. 13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!”
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
16 The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.

A Sobering Word from the Lord
There shall be a day of mourning and sorrow for the sun shall not shine by day, nor the moon by night. Spiritual darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people. The Lord is with His own. Many stand in the valley of decision. They need to act quickly and not hesitate.
The Morning Star was given to bring light into the world, but the world received it not. People will cry out for light, but none will be found. They will stumble for lack of vision and knowledge of the Lord. The Lord in His grace has poured out the blessing of His grace and salvation, making it know unto every nation, tribe and tongue. The nations will be brought into the Valley of Judgement and Valley of Decision. “Choose this day whom you will serve. Before you are life and death. Choose this day who you will serve, for you stand in the Valley of Separation.
The Lord will thunder out of Zion. He will sit in judgement of all who have profaned His name and His people. You do not want to hear the hard things I have to speak. You want your ears tickled with blessing and good words. I have many rich and wonderful things for you My people, but you must not withdraw in fear and unbelief at the fires of purification that stand before you.
You worship My Son in this season and that is good, but so many are content to keep Him the infant child and fail to see Him mature into the warrior King. You have become content on the milk and Christ remains the infant in your hearts. Woe to them that give suck in this day for you have fed milk when by such time many of you should be mature and partaking of the meat of the Word. Pray that your flight be not winter when all is spiritually cold and dead. Oh My people, come into the fullness of your calling. Put aside the frivolous things that consume your time and resources. It is a time when the kingdom of God is to come into the earth and your kingdom is so polluted. Purify your hearts ye double-minded. Make straight the way of the Lord. The times are upon you and you continue to tarry in their season. The trumpet has sounded and the alarm has gone forth, but still you sit in your complacency and slumber. Awaken My people and arise to the marvelous calling that is before you. Become spiritually alert and astute to what I am about to bring to pass. Know that I am with you if you are in Me, but so many have strayed from the hedge my protection, because they have been rebellious and disobedient in their hearts. Their affections are far from me.
Today I am calling unto you, “Return unto Me!” Soon the door closes and those who are not prepared will not come in. This is the day of your reconciliation, forgiveness and restoration. Respond to the season of My compassion and mercy. Darkness is coming, enter in while you have the light. Hide yourself in the shadow of My wing and I will cover you there. I am purging and preparing My people for this time of darkness and for a time you will be hidden. The time of My judgement is at hand, be sober, vigilant and pray in the Holy Ghost. Turn your heart from all impurity and defilement of flesh and spirit. Come unto Me with a broken and contrite heart and I will not turn you away. My Risen Son stands at the gate awaiting My Word to go forth. Ready your hearts for your Redeemer cometh.

Blessings,
#kent

The Liberation of Creation

Obadiah 1:21
Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD’s.

The Liberation of Creation

The identification of who we are is seen in who we believe ourselves to be. Faith is the enactment of translating what we believe into what we are becoming. It is the trust in the power of God to work in our lives abundantly more than we would ever hope, think or even imagine. Our eyes are no longer on our ability, but upon His ability to manifest through us His purpose and plan for us.
Our faith simply embraces and works in concert with His plan for us. It isn’t dependent upon our understanding all things or our ability. He is able to supply us with all ability and resources to function in His calling and His plan for us. The circumstances that we see as obstacles before us are simply mirages and false visions if they stand contrary to God’s will and purpose. We are more than conquerors through Christ that loved us and gave Himself for us. Yes, there will be adversity, buffeting, pain and tribulation. Just as One like unto the Son of God stood with the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel, so shall He stand with us and what’s more He will be manifested through us when we stand in that fiery furnace. What was meant for our destruction God will use for our deliverance. Only the bonds that have held us back will be consumed as we arise in Him and He comes forth within us. His Kingdom will come and His will, it will be done in this earth as it is in heaven. It will start in the earth of His saints and through them will spread to the uttermost part of this natural earth. It will be just as the veil in the temple was rent when Jesus was crucified signifying the removal of that which had kept us out of the presence of the Almighty Father. The tear started from the top. It started with Jesus the head, down through the disciples and the martyrs that gave their lives in service and faithfulness. It continues to tear down through the ages from top to bottom until all of creation is set free and brought into the wonderful liberty of the sons of God.
The apostle Paul says in Romans 8: 18-21, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” As our flesh is rent and torn away the Almighty glory of God is revealed and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The same liberty that we ourselves experience will be passed through us into creation. Just as Jesus Christ was the dispensation of God’s grace, so His people are the dispensers of that same grace that has had its perfect work in them.
The kingdoms of this world are falling. This age is coming to an end that it might give way to the kingdom age, where our King rules in supreme righteousness and the kingdoms of this world fully become the kingdoms of our Lord and King.
As a good soldier fight the good fight. Fit yourselves for battle, ‘for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. We demolish every argument and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and bring every thought captive to bring it to obedience unto Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:4-6). We are the called of God to function in the priesthood of God. There are three offices that we operate out of, prophet, priest and king. We speak the word of God, we operate and rule out of its authority and we intercede and bring Christ to the nations. Jesus has been the prototype of what God is bringing His people into.
Galatians 6:14 leaves us with this sobering revelation of where we are right now in Him, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” What we are will never come out of who we are, but it will come out of who He is in us.

Blessings,
#kent

The Same Spirit

The Same Spirit

Romans 8:10-12
And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Where is our mindset, our conversation, our thoughts and our life today? Aren’t we all prone to be absorbed with the flesh, the world and the outward man? We are worried about finances, we are struggling with diseases and afflictions in our bodies, we are wrestling with relationships with people, just to name a few of the many things that press upon us to capture our attention, our time, our worry, our money and our life. Isn’t the Word telling us that if we are focused on all of these outward things they are turning us away from who we are in Christ and the power we have resident within us. It is not that we stick our head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge that we have problems and needs, but it has to be our focus that those needs are not met in us, they are met in Him. Even the circumstances of life, the trials and tribulation must become the reminders to focus on Christ, to praise Him and glorify Him even in the midst of the battle, the pain and the struggles. The Word tells us that ‘we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)’ and Galatians 2:20 expresses the Christ mindset when Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Death surrounds us and is ever trying to consume and devour us, but we reject the death and embrace the life. The embracing of that life often is death to the outward man that is perishing, but we are focused on the life that is bringing us into the eternal. We care and attend to the external things like we care for our car. It is the vehicle that transports us from place to place. It requires a certain amount of attention and maintenance to run properly. We can’t just put gas in it and run it without doing other things that keep it lubricated, tuned, repaired and running right. We take care of it because it is a means to an end; it is a vehicle to reach a destination. That is what our body is and the outward man. We can become consumed with our bodies like some people do with their cars, but all the extras are not what is needful. Many of us go through things in our bodies we don’t think others can possibly understand or relate with; maybe they can’t but God can. Hebrew 4:15 tells us, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.” It is in our weakness that we must come to know God as our strength. None of us can really boast of being anything in ourselves and it is never truer than in our weaknesses. There, we must not identify with the death, but the life. Yes the outward things are wearing out and passing away, but the inner man is renewed day by day. It is the life, the wisdom and the power of the One of who is the owner of this vehicle we call our body that we want to be focused on. As in Christ, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you and quickens your mortal body also. Lay hold of and live out of Spirit Life.

Blessings,
#kent

Mystery Seed

John 12:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Mystery Seed

Behold a mystery is in the seed,
If it remains alone it cannot feed.
Only buried in the earth can it grow,
Only in dying can its true-life flow.

Unplanted, a life for self is barren,
Planting in others is a life of sharing.
Only in giving are we made complete,
Only in dying can life bring forth seed.

Death brings a release of what is held in you.
The death of a seed gives life anew.
Life springs forth out of a forsaken shell,
For us it was released through a cross and nails.

As our Savior became a seed planted in the ground,
He released eternal life to those all around.
He was multiplied through the death that He died,
The resulting harvest is from death now glorified.

We, His believers, are now His seed.
We, likewise, must give our lives for those in need.
Through losing ourselves is our life truly found.
It is His life in us that springs from our ground.

Because we willingly became a planted seed,
The Life in us can now meet another’s need.
The death of the seed has a harvest brought,
It is the price that it is paid for all He has sought.

It is now for us to be the seed planted in the ground,
To loose the captive and those that are bound,
We pour out our lives and through His life give,
The mystery is: “that through one death, many may live.”

Blessings,
#kent

Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be Done.

Mark 6:10
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.

Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be Done.

Jesus Christ is the King and the revelation of the coming kingdom of God. He has already come in past shadow and type. He is come in physical manifestation, glorification and presence in the earth and in His body. When Jesus exhorted His disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”, what are we praying for? Most of us embrace a concept of the Second Coming of Christ in glory to establish His kingdom in the earth, but if He is going to do that anyway why do we need to pray this now?
Every day that we exist in Christ we need to be pressed deeper into the birth canal. We need a greater revelation of who Christ is in the earth today, what His kingdom is and how we are a part of that. When we pray, “ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” we are praying out the old man of the earth and praying in the new creation of heaven. We are identifying and embracing our kingdom citizenship even as we walk in this earth. When we pray “thy kingdom come”, we are embracing the vision by faith of who we are in spirit. It is that Christ we are in spirit that we want to be manifested in our earth, our bodies and to the world around us. When God’s will is done in us it will have an impact upon the world around us. It is the people of God that set the moral temperature of a nation. It is the people of God that bring light and knowledge of the eternal into a land. We are the current revelation of the King of Kings. If His will is not accomplished and seen through us, then who?
As we pray this phrase of the Lord’s prayer don’t allow it to become just rote words. Allow it to impact you that as God is in heaven so He wants to be in your earth, in your life and to manifest through us, His will to the world around us. Even today as all of creation groans under corruption, we ourselves groan, within ourselves. We are seeing the vision of the hope that is within us. We continue to press into that hope until it is no longer a hope, but a manifest reality of God’s kingdom and will in the earth. We are the portals of heaven for God’s will to be done. Are we an open window or a closed door? It is His body that is paving the road for the King of Glory to enter in, for the Kingdom to come and His will to be done.

Blessings,
#kent

Wisdom out of Heaven

James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Wisdom out of Heaven

Heavenly wisdom in our life is not just born out of the words we speak, but out of a life well lived. Wisdom bears its fruit in words and in actions. Wisdom from above finds the Father to be the source of all things and the object of all things. When we live in the course of the stream that flows out of the throne, through the earth and back into the throne then we live and have our being in the cycle of God’s life and wisdom.
When our focus is on the world and the things of the world then we covet worldly things. With earthly wisdom we envy those that have and we despise those that have not. Earthly wisdom is focused on the material realm. It is often jealous and resentful of those who have more than we do. It’s focus is on those things that perish with the using. That wisdom is consumed with getting ahead, with power, titles, riches and position. It is a wisdom that strives to get its identity out worldly significance rather than heavenly calling.
The wisdom of God teaches us who our real father is. It teaches us that our identity is not in what the world gives us; it is in Him. He has given us His identity as sons and when we know who we are then we can come into the godly wisdom of operating out of a heavenly and eternal perspective. We are not moved by those things that motivate from earthly wisdom. Our eyes and our heart is set upon our Father from which every good and perfect gift comes. Godly wisdom comes with a whole different agenda than the earthly wisdom does. Earthly wisdom is about self preservation, selfish ambition and self concern. Verse 15 in the Amplified says it like this, ” This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal).” It comes from a beast nature, not a God nature.
Godly wisdom has died to self. Self is simply an instrument in Father’s hand to carry out His will, design and purpose. The life submitted and fully surrendered to the Father operates out of His heart and nature. It is pure in that it has no agenda except to love with the heart of God. It is peace-loving, knowing that God dwells in an atmosphere of complete peace, because all is at rest in Him. There is no need for strife and contention when nothing is for me, but all is for the Father. It is considerate, because it puts others before itself. If self has truly died, then there is no selfish motive to contend for. It is submissive, willing to yield to reason and not self-willed. It is full of mercy , because heavenly wisdom carries with it the heart of the Father; his love, heart of compassion, and desire for restoration and reconciliation. Out of the heart of godly wisdom is born the good fruit of the Spirit as given in Galatians 5:22-26, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” It fits right in with what James is saying here. Finally, heavenly wisdom is impartial and sincere. It doesn’t operate out of prejudice, favoritism, hidden agendas, or selfish motives. It is straight forward, letting it’s yes be yes and it no be no. It doesn’t waiver and change it’s mind in favor of the circumstance.
“Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”
What is a peacemaker? A peacemaker is one who brings heaven to earth and who brings the heart of God to the hearts of mankind. He demonstrates through the love of God in him, the same love and heart the Father has for His creation. Their ministry is one of restoration and reconciliation as they draw the hearts of God’s children back to the Father with the revelation of His love and power. They are instruments that the Holy Spirit orchestrates to perform a symphony of His love and grace. They are not self-righteous, full of prejudice or bigotry. They are not come to judge and condemn the unrighteous, but to reconcile them back to the Father through the manifest love of Christ operating through their lives. Out of that heart they will reap a harvest of righteousness, because Christ is our righteousness. ‘It is the goodness and kindness of God that leads men to repentance (Romans 2:4).’
When we start truly operating out of godly wisdom our perspective will be different from that of the world. It is easy for us to foolishly fall back into that way of thinking and behaving, but we must be ever mindful of who we are as the sons of God’s righteousness. We are here to make a difference for the kingdom by the way we live, act and think. Our words and conversations are those of life and not of the chatter that finds fault or lifts us up while tearing others down. We know who we are, so it doesn’t matter what the world thinks or says about us. Our life and our identity are in Christ and out of that identity we operate out of the wisdom from above.

Blessings,
#kent

God’s Greatest Gift

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

God’s Greatest Gift

I pray that all of us share the most wonderful and profound gift that God has ever given to man, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. There is still no greater miracle than of a person being birthed into the kingdom of God. Truly, God’s love is amazing that He would love a sinful and rebellious creation so much that He would lay down the very life of His holy sinless Son that through His death we might experience eternal life in His presence. There is no more joyous and wondrous place in all of the earth than to share fellowship and relationship in His holy presence. When we really begin to have church the way it is suppose to be we will no longer go out of obligation, we will go with anxious expectation and anticipation at being in His presence. We will experience His Spirit operating to us, in us and through us. Needs will be met, hearts mended, physical needs met, spiritual growth and maturity taking place. We come together not just to get and receive, but to give out of the storehouse of God’s abundant grace within us. We are each one His treasures and God loves to share His treasures with one another and with the rest of the world. In order for us to be a treasure shared we must become an open chest. We can no longer be closed and hidden but open and vulnerable. As we identify the needs in others God will show us which treasure He wants us to impart.
As we come into this season of giving may we always remember that the greatest gifts are not what we receive outwardly. Those outward gifts are only indicative of a much greater gift that desires to always be expressed and that is the gift of love. I pray that everyone who reads this knows how much God truly loves and cares for them. Sometimes in our tribulations and struggles we can lose sight of that. We must always remember that our character is developed as we go through the storms of life, not as we are rescued out of them. The Lord remains with us each step of the way.
If by some chance you haven’t yet asked Jesus, the gift of God, to come into your heart, to forgive your sins and to be your Lord and Savior, He invites you to do so right now in the quietness of this moment. If we know that Jesus is God’s gift of salvation to us, but we never open the present, then we can’t receive the contents. Many have knowledge about Jesus, but that is like having a present addressed to you, that you never open or partaken of its contents. Jesus isn’t yours until you open God’s gift and ask Him into you heart. He ever stands ready to give Himself to you; He only awaits your invitation. Please contact me if you need someone to pray with you.
Jesus Christ, is God’s greatest gift to us. It is one that we can never earn, deserve or be good enough to receive. Receiving Jesus is simply the willingness to accept God’s invitation to come into His kingdom and be partakers of His divine life. He is yours for the asking and believing.
May all of us share together in God’s greatest gift of all.

Blessings,
#kent

Marriage Defiled

Marriage Defiled

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

We have touched on this subject before, but this is what that Holy Spirit seems to be impressing upon my heart today. Not unlike times past our society and the moral fabric that holds it together is being compromised. We stand upon the precipice of ruin because so much of our society has lost the value and the sanctity of marriage. Over and over again, when we watch our movies or TV or read a magazine, the acceptance of a homosexual agenda is being presented as an acceptable lifestyle and alternative to marriage between one man and one woman. Now it is being pressed upon our society through the acceptance and legalization of same sex marriages.
Since the early 60’s the acceptance of cohabitation between unmarried couples has gained greater and greater acceptance, till now this comprises a great many of our households today. Then there are the many households where the lack of commitment has left children without fathers and many times with little or no support except from the government. Likewise, it is rare we watch movies, television and soap operas that fornication and adultery aren’t prevalent scenes and themes. What has all of this done to us as a society but make us hardened and callused to the fact that this is sin and an abomination to the heart of God? We have placed ourselves as a society and as individuals into a place of judgement because we have ignored and blatantly disobeyed God’s Word. If that isn’t bad enough we kill our unborn that result from much of this lifestyle. When we have not done these things literally we have entertained them and engaged them with our minds through impurity and pornography and vain imaginations. We have become a diseased society; infected with immorality and sin to such an extent that our hearts have become hardened and insensitive to the affects of the decay it is having on our families, our society and nation as a whole. There are hardly any of us that can say we haven’t been personally affected by this sin in our society, because it is touching each one of us either directly or indirectly. We have to come to the place and do all that we can to bring our society to the place where we really reverence the sanctity of marriage, the home and the family. God has been infinitely longsuffering and gracious towards us, but we must realize what a stench our sin is to His nostrils and He will not withhold his judgement indefinitely. By our own hand our nation will fall into perversion and ruin.
We have to again begin to really value and reinforce the importance of the institution of marriage between one man and one woman as God ordained it from the beginning. We have to reinforce the value of commitment and covenant in this relationship to where divorce isn’t found in one out of every two marriages. We have to again lay hold of the revelation of what it means to be one flesh with the man or woman we enter into covenant with, for better of for worse.
God doesn’t hate us because we have engaged in homosexuality, fornication, adultery or numerous other perversions and sexual sins, but He hates the sin. We have made ourselves His enemies in as much as we have engaged in it. If we are unwilling to repent, turn away from it and ask the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from these sins, then we will be judged in them. The Word says that the people who engage in such things have no part in the Kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9 says, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” God puts His finger on it and tells us how it is going to be. We, as the people of God, must first purify our own hearts and get free from the strongholds and struggles we face in these areas. How can we help others until we have addressed our own issues? To our shame we have embraced many of the world’s values in regards to sexual purity and the institution of marriage. Marriage is the only acceptable area we can enjoy and share our sexuality in God’s eyes. He has given us this precious gift for a reason, but we have grossly perverted it and exploited it. We have to continually bring our hearts before Him and allow the Holy Spirit to examine us and show us our sin and folly, so that we can repent and return to a pure and right state in our minds and our hearts. We have to bear the torch and the standard of purity before our society. As long as we are in a state of hypocrisy and compromise we only reinforce this state of sin.
“God help us to purify our hearts and turn from our wicked ways so that we can be a light of righteousness to all around us. May they see the standard and the law of God written upon the tablets of our hearts through lives that glorify and honor you in word and deed. Help us to hold to the sanctity of marriage in our own lives and continue to keep covenant with the husband or wife of our youth through the power of the love you are working in our hearts. Amen”

Blessings,
#kent