Blasphemy and Persecution

by Mike Ratliff

10 But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra. What persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:10-13 (LSB) 

Receiving Christ’s Word and becoming like Him in our conduct will unavoidably mean being treated by the world in the way it treated Christ. “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). The believer is privileged to participate in the fellowship of His suffering (Philippians 3:10), and it is only as we are willing to bear His reproach and suffer for His sake that we are promised that we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). Jesus Himself was blasphemously accused of being demon-possessed. They hated Him without a cause (John 15:25). The believer, like Christ, must be willing to be misunderstood and have his good works maligned. Since our best efforts in serving Christ are mingled with sin and human imperfection, it should come as no surprise that our motives and behavior will be misinterpreted because of our forthright identification with Him. “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). A mark of the world is to call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness,
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
And understanding in their own sight! Isaiah 5:20-21 (LSB) 

The fruit of the fear of God

by Mike Ratliff

13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NASB)

The total lack of the fear of God is what marks the ungodly. (Romans 3:18) On the other hand, genuine believers in scripture are described as those who do fear Him. Tragically, when moral issues between professing Christians and the unchurched are compared there is very little difference. There is the same level of divorce, adultery, pornography, dishonesty; et cetera in both groups. This should not be so.

Trust in God Destroys the Fear of Man

by Mike Ratliff

25 The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Proverbs 29:25 (NASB) 

Our enemy is pretty smart. He has been around long enough that he believes he knows us. He knows that lost people are enslaved to him via their sin nature. He knows that the little flock, our Lord’s sheep, may be new creations via the washing of regeneration, but they still have their flesh and a deep, overwhelming need to be fulfilled. Their salvation has changed them so they now have the ability to be fulfilled in God the more they take on Christ’s character. Our enemy, on the other hand, does all he can to neutralize those sheep by attacking them in innumerable ways so that they walk according their flesh instead of according to the Spirit.

Satan has always wanted to be God. He caused a war in Heaven by attempting to usurp God’s throne for himself. Ever since, he has been hard at work attempting to fool people into believing that he is God or at least driving a wedge between people and the Living God by enticing them to be gods unto themselves through their self-will.

See to it that no one misleads you

by Mike Ratliff

1 Καὶ ἐξελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐπορεύετο, καὶ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτῷ τὰς οἰκοδομὰς τοῦ ἱεροῦ. 2 ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· οὐ βλέπετε ταῦτα πάντα; ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον ὃς οὐ καταλυθήσεται.
3 Καθημένου δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους τῶν ἐλαιῶν προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν λέγοντες· εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, πότε ταῦτα ἔσται καὶ τί τὸ σημεῖον τῆς σῆς παρουσίας καὶ συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος;
4 Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς πλανήσῃ· Matthew 24:1-4 (NA28)

1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. Matthew 24:1-4 (NASB) 

My brethren, stop, take a deep breath and take an honest look at what is going on all around us and what has been going on for last couple of years. My dear brethren, in 2019 I was in fantastic physical condition. I and a friend were all prepared to spend two weeks hiking and climbing mountains in Colorado that June. I spent over a year conditioning myself to be physically ready for it. I had all my gear ready. I made the trip and actually had a great time, but we could not do any climbing because the snowpack on the higher peaks just would not thaw. I came home and processed a lot of great shots and posted them everywhere. Some of them I printed an they are on my walls here in my office. however, just a few months after that the company I worked for wanted me to go to Seattle for week for a Microsoft conference. I went. I had some very strange encounters on the streets while walking around with my camera. Guys would come up to me, total strangers, and start shouting at me like they had seen me there before and they resented me being back and this time I had that camera. I just could not understand it. I asked a few people around me what was going on and the only feedback I got was these must be homeless people. I was very glad to board that plane after the conference and get out of there. It was just a few weeks later that the BLM riots took place there with the rioters taking over the very parts of downtown Seattle where I had been walking through. I still can’t put all that together. Right after I got home my wife and I flew to D.C. to be with our son on Thanksgiving then we flew home that Sunday and I repacked my bags and Monday morning I went back to the airport to fly to Denver for a week of meetings there. When if flew home at the end of that week I was beat. I was sick and tired of traveling. I was more than tired of airports and hotels. When I got on the shuttle that took me to where my pickup was parked I told one of the other  passengers that this was my last trip of the year and I was already celebrating. I month later I tested positive for Covid-19.  It was no big deal. It was like a bad cold.  I tested positive again a few months after that, same thing. I am pretty sure the first infection was probably due to my trip to Seattle. We had a luncheon the last day. At our table were 15 people or more from all over the world. it was very tight and crowded.

That was what was going on late 2019 and early 2020. Early this year I tested positive for Covid-19 again. That was in January. It was just like before. I really didn’t get that sick. However, in early April of this year I had a stroke.I am still dealing with the affects of that. I have also retired so I no longer have health insurance at work. No, I have Medicare and V.A. healthcare. However, the reason I am writing this post is not about any of my health issues except to say that despite what God has assigned for me to go through, my faith is still intact. I heard a sermon by John MacArthur that he preached in 2012 about the AntiChrist. I decided to listen to again a few nights ago and that is the primary reason for this post. Here is a link to the sermon. Now as you can tell, JMac is a PreTribber. I am not. I am  a PreWrather. That means that I believe that Jesus taught in Mathew 24:10 that the Church would be persecuted by the AntiChrist and his people and that is what is called the Great Tribulation. However, that persecution will not start until the AntiChrist is revealed at the Abomination of Desolation. The persecution will be because true believers will not take the Mark of the Beast by worshipping the Dragon or the AntiChrist. The False Prophet will kill those who refuse to do so. The PreWrath position holds that the Church will be taken home before God pours out His wrath on this world.

So why am I writing this? I watched Tucker Carlson last night. He was showing how the Biden Administration is giving military aid to Ukraine thereby drawing the U.S. into a possible war with Russia. Then I remembered Matthew 24:6,

6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Matthew 24:6-8 (NASB) 

So, we are in the Birth Pangs stage? So the man of lawlessness has not been revealed yet. When that happens watch out! Our Economy has been so mismanaged it would not take much to bring it crashing down and that would the perfect catalyst for someone to come on the scene projecting himself as a savior who is nothing more than Satan’s puppet.

Be not deceived my brethren!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Every Tongue Shall Confess

by Mike Ratliff

23 κατ εμαυτου ομνυω η μην εξελευσεται εκ του στοματος μου δικαιοσυνη οι λογοι μου ουκ αποστραφησονται οτι εμοι καμψει παν γονυ και εξομολογησεται πασα γλωσσα τω θεω  24 λεγων δικαιοσυνη και δοξα προς αυτον ηξουσιν και αισχυνθησονται παντες οι αφοριζοντες εαυτους Isaiah 45:23-24 (LXX)

23 “I have sworn by Myself,
The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.
24 “They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’
Men will come to Him,
And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame. Isaiah 45:23-24 (NASB) 

11 For it is written,
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” Romans 14:11 (NASB) 

Several years ago a friend contacted me with an issue she was having on her blog dealing with one of her readers who said that Romans 14:11 was a proof text for Christian Universalism.

The Blessed State of the Righteous

In Psalm 112 the prophet praiseth the felicities of those that fear God and condemeth the cursed state of those who contend with God.

Psalm 112
1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man, that (a) feareth the Lord, and delighteth greatly in his commandments.
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed.
3 (b) Riches and treasures shall be in his house, and his righteousness endureth forever.
4 Unto the (c) righteous ariseth light in darkness: he is merciful and full of compassion and righteous.
5 A good man is merciful and (d) lendeth, and will measure his affairs by judgment.
6 Surely he shall never be moved: but the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings: for his heart is fixed, and believeth in the Lord.
8 His heart is established: therefore he will not fear, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
9 He hath (e) distributed and given to ye poor: his righteousness remaineth forever: his (f) horn shall be exalted with glory.
10 The wicked shall see it and be angry: he shall gnash with his teeth, and (g) consume away: the desire of the wicked shall perish. (Geneva Bible Psalm 112)

(a) He means that reverent fear which is in the children of God, which causes them to delight only in the word of God.
(b) The godly will have abundance and contentment, because their heart is satisfied in God alone.
(c) The faithful in all their adversities know that all will go well with them for God will be merciful and just.
(d) He shows what the fruit of mercy is, to lend freely and not for gain, and so to measure his doings that he may be able to help where need requires and not to bestow all on himself.
(e) The godly are not stingy, but distribute liberally, as the need of the poor requires and as his power is able.
(f) His power and prosperous estate.
(g) The blessings of God on his children will cause the wicked to die for envy.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

In Psalm 111, the prophet giveth thanks to the Lord for His merciful works toward His Church. He also declareth wherein true wisdom and right knowledge consistith.

Psalm 111
1 Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly and Congregation of the just.
2 The works of the Lord are great, and ought to be sought out of all them that love them.
3 His work is beautiful and glorious, and his righteousness endureth forever.
4 He hath made his wonderful works to be had in remembrance: the Lord is merciful and full of compassion.
5 He hath given a portion unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath shewed to his people the power of his works in giving unto them the heritage of the heathen.
7 The works of his hands are truth and judgment: all his statutes are true.
8 They are established forever and ever, and are done in truth and equity.
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant forever: holy and fearful is his Name.
10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord: all they that observe them, have good understanding: his praise endureth forever. – (Geneva Bible Psalm 111)

The prophet declares that he will praise God both privately and openly and from his heart that he has consecrated wholly and only to Him.

He professes that God’s works are sufficient cause wherefore we should praise Him, but chiefly His benefits towards His Church.

God has given to His Church all that was necessary for them and will do still more for His covenant’s sake.

As God promised to take the care of His Church; so in effect does He declare Himself just and true in His government of the same.

They only are wise that fear God, and none have understanding, but those that obey His Words which are His commandments.

Drinking From The Cup The Father Has Given Us

by Mike Ratliff

37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Mark 10:37-40 (NASB) 

The truth, Biblical truth that is, cuts like a sword or the sharpest dagger ever seen. God’s ways are not Man’s ways or the ways of the world. No, God’s ways are antithetical to the ways of fallen Men. Many reading this can testify to losing close friends and having conflict within family groups because God has quickened them by His grace. Their faith is alive. They are regenerate. They now can see the truth and are able to obey God. This new life in Christ belongs to those who have found the narrow gate, which is Christ. They have passed through in belief and now are on the narrow way which leads to the Celestial City.

The conflict arises from this new life when it comes to bear on those around the believer who know not God. They may indeed be religious. They may be professing Christians, but neither of these things are guarantees of eternal life. The genuine believer is a possessor of the truth, God has written it on his or her heart. However, the unregenerate cannot grasp this truth. They see it as utter foolishness. When the regenerate believer walks in this belief with it affecting all parts of his or her life the unregenerate react in many ways. Anger, resentment, skepticism, hostility, and disdain are just a few of the reactions genuine Christians will encounter when they walk by faith.

True Fruit of the Fear of God

by Mike Ratliff

13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NASB) 

The total lack of the fear of God is what marks the ungodly. (Romans 3:18) On the other hand, genuine believers in scripture are described as those who do fear Him. Tragically, when moral issues between professing Christians and the unchurched are compared there is very little difference. There is the same level of divorce, adultery, pornography, dishonesty, et cetera; in both groups. This should not be so.

Fear of Man Destroyed by Trust in God

by Mike Ratliff

25 The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted. Proverbs 29:25 (NASB) 

Our enemy is pretty smart. He has been around long enough that he believes he knows us. He knows that lost people are enslaved to him via their sin nature. He knows that the little flock, our Lord’s sheep, may be new creations via the washing of regeneration, but they still have their flesh and a deep, overwhelming need to be fulfilled. Their salvation has changed them so they now have the ability to be fulfilled in God the more they take on Christ’s character. Our enemy, on the other hand, does all he can to neutralize those sheep by attacking them in innumerable ways so that they walk according their flesh instead of according to the Spirit.

Satan has always wanted to be God. He caused a war in Heaven by attempting to usurp God’s throne for himself. Ever since, he has been hard at work attempting to fool people into believing that he is God or at least driving a wedge between people and the Living God by enticing them to be gods unto themselves through their self-will.

The fear of God and its fruit

by Mike Ratliff

13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NASB) 

The total lack of the fear of God is what marks the ungodly. (Romans 3:18) On the other hand, genuine believers in scripture are described as those who do fear Him. Tragically, when moral issues between professing Christians and the unchurched are compared there is very little difference. There is the same level of divorce, adultery, pornography, dishonesty, etc.; in both groups. This should not be so.

Christian suffering

by Mike Ratliff

35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Mark 10:35-40 (NASB) 

The truth, Biblical truth that is, cuts like a sword or the sharpest dagger ever seen. God’s ways are not Man’s ways or the ways of the world. No, God’s ways are antithetical to the ways of fallen Men. Many reading this can testify to losing close friends and having conflict within family groups because God has quickened them by His grace. Their faith is alive. They are regenerate. They now can see the truth and are able to obey God. This new life in Christ belongs to those who have found the narrow gate, which is Christ. They have passed through it in belief and now are on the narrow way which leads to the Celestial City.

The conflict arises from this new life when it comes to bear on those around the believer who know not God. They may indeed be religious. They may be professing Christians, but neither of these things are guarantees of eternal life. The genuine believer is a possessor of the truth, God has written it on his or her heart. However, the unregenerate cannot grasp this truth. They see it as utter foolishness. When the regenerate believer walks in this belief with it affecting all parts of his or her life the unregenerate react in many ways. Anger, resentment, skepticism, hostility, and disdain are just a few of the reactions genuine Christians will encounter when they walk by faith.

To drink from the cup of obedience

by Mike Ratliff

37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Mark 10:37-40 (NASB)

The truth, Biblical truth that is, cuts like a sword or the sharpest dagger ever seen. God’s ways are not Man’s ways or the ways of the world. No, God’s ways are antithetical to the ways of fallen Men. Many reading this can testify to losing close friends and having conflict within family groups because God has quickened them by His grace. Their faith is alive. They are regenerate. They now can see the truth and are able to obey God. This new life in Christ belongs to those who have found the narrow gate, which is Christ. They have passed through in belief and now are on the narrow way which leads to the Celestial City.

The conflict arises from this new life when it comes to bear on those around the believer who know not God. They may indeed be religious. They may be professing Christians, but neither of these things are guarantees of eternal life. The genuine believer is a possessor of the truth, God has written it on his or her heart. However, the unregenerate cannot grasp this truth. They see it as utter foolishness. When the regenerate believer walks in this belief with it affecting all parts of his or her life the unregenerate react in many ways. Anger, resentment, skepticism, hostility, and disdain are just a few of the reactions genuine Christians will encounter when they walk by faith.

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?

by Mike Ratliff

37 They said to Him, “ Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (Mark 10:37-40 NASB)

The truth, Biblical truth that is, cuts like a sword or the sharpest dagger ever seen. God’s ways are not Man’s ways or the ways of the world. No, God’s ways are antithetical to the ways of fallen Men. Many reading this can testify to losing close friends and having conflict within family groups because God has quickened them by His grace. Their faith is alive. They are regenerate. They now can see the truth and are able to obey God. This new life in Christ belongs to those who have found the narrow gate, which is Christ. They have passed through in belief and now are on the narrow way which leads to the Celestial City.

The conflict arises from this new life when it comes to bear on those around the believer who know not God. They may indeed be religious. They may be professing Christians, but neither of these things are guarantees of eternal life. The genuine believer is a possessor of the truth, God has written it on his or her heart. However, the unregenerate cannot grasp this truth. They see it as utter foolishness. When the regenerate believer walks in this belief with it affecting all parts of his or her life the unregenerate react in many ways. Anger, resentment, skepticism, hostility, and disdain are just a few of the reactions genuine Christians will encounter when they walk by faith.