A Yielding Natureby Lary R. Hale “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee” (Prov. 25:21,22). “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also” (Mat. 5:38-40). “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mat. 5:44,45). “I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren” (I Cor. 6:5-8). “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19-21). All of these Bible sayings are threaded through one common element, and that element is true faith in God. Those who are able to naturally practice these modes of living, say by their actions that they are trusting God to truly “work together for good” all things that take place in their lives (Rom. 8:28).  The scriptures teach us in regard to the patriarchs of the faith, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country” (Heb. 11:13,14). One such instance where this faith was exemplified was when Abraham and Lot’s servants clashed, and Abraham advised Lot that the two of them should split up and go in two different directions with their cattle and possessions. Abraham, having the authority, could have dictated the terms to Lot, but instead he gave Lot first choice of which land he would take to himself. Lot chose Sodom because it was well watered, and Abraham remained in the land of Canaan. Afterward God appeared to Abraham and promised him that he and his seed would possess the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession (Gen. 13:5-17). It is by demonstrating that we are of a yielding nature that we show that we “seek a country,” and that the scripture is speaking of us when it says; “they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:16). And it is certain that if we cannot be of a yielding nature with men whom we CAN see, we will not be of a yielding nature with God whom we CANNOT see (I Jn. 4:20). And it is equally as certain that if we do not show forth a yielding nature in our lives, we do NOT have true faith in God; nor are we “setting our hopes on things eternal,” as the old faithful gospel hymn admonishes us to do. Amen. Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page January 10, 2013     
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A Yielding Nature
by Lary R. Hale

“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee” (Prov. 25:21,22). “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also” (Mat. 5:38-40). “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mat. 5:44,45). “I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren” (I Cor. 6:5-8). “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19-21). All of these Bible sayings are threaded through one common element, and that element is true faith in God. Those who are able to naturally practice these modes of living, say by their actions that they are trusting God to truly “work together for good” all things that take place in their lives (Rom. 8:28). 

The scriptures teach us in regard to the patriarchs of the faith, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country” (Heb. 11:13,14). One such instance where this faith was exemplified was when Abraham and Lot’s servants clashed, and Abraham advised Lot that the two of them should split up and go in two different directions with their cattle and possessions. Abraham, having the authority, could have dictated the terms to Lot, but instead he gave Lot first choice of which land he would take to himself. Lot chose Sodom because it was well watered, and Abraham remained in the land of Canaan. Afterward God appeared to Abraham and promised him that he and his seed would possess the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession (Gen. 13:5-17). It is by demonstrating that we are of a yielding nature that we show that we “seek a country,” and that the scripture is speaking of us when it says; “they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:16). And it is certain that if we cannot be of a yielding nature with men whom we CAN see, we will not be of a yielding nature with God whom we CANNOT see (I Jn. 4:20). And it is equally as certain that if we do not show forth a yielding nature in our lives, we do NOT have true faith in God; nor are we “setting our hopes on things eternal,” as the old faithful gospel hymn admonishes us to do. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page January 10, 2013     

Source: byonespirit.com

“Two Kinds of Believers”by Lary R. Hale Just a short post today on a very relevant matter in the body of Christ today. There are two kinds of people who are in the body of Christ in this generation. Actually these two types of people have always constituted the congregation of God’s people, old testament and new. The fact of the matter is, whether we’re talking old testament or new, the pure truth of God has NEVER been sustained or preserved among God’s people. You can do the research yourself. During old testament times, there were always idols, high places, traditions of men, false prophets, corrupt priests, and the like. By and large the worship of God from God’s people was always mixed with these other items, at best (Amos 5:25,26; Zeph. 1:4,5). This is why every prophet God sent to Israel was rejected, and often times put to death by God’s own people (Mat. 23:37). Because the prophets DID have the truth of God pure and unmixed, and they commanded the remainder of the people to forsake everything BUT the pure and true way of God, which was his law. But not everybody rejected the prophets, just almost everybody. Elijah thought he was all alone, but God let him know that he had a remnant of seven thousand who had remained faithful (I Kin. 19:14,18). And the same has been true in the body of Christ from the beginning. It didn’t take long for Stephen to be martyred, and at least most of the apostles and many other true believers followed suit. The apostle Paul by the end of his life had been firmly rejected by those he had established in Christ, for the revelation of truth that he received from the Lord for them (Gal. 1:11,12; II Tim. 1:15). So what does all of this have to do with the two types of people that I mentioned? Well, I’ve already shown one of those types, which is those who will resist and reject the pure truth of God when it is presented to them, and will even kill those who present it if the circumstances are as such. And the pure, unmixed truth is the only measuring stick that will show who is who in this mix. The prophet Simeon spoke of this meter of measurement of God’s people when he prophesied over the baby Jesus, saying that he would be “set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel,” and that he would cause “the thoughts of many hearts [to] be revealed” (Lk. 2:34,35). Jesus was and is the pure truth, and the doctrine that his Spirit teaches is the same (Jn. 16:13; I Jn. 2:27).  Because of the Gentile congregations rejection of the truth taught to them by Paul, the body of Christ by and large has been under dominion to the traditions and doctrines of men for over 1900 years. So just to bring it up to date, here is what it comes down to: There is, relatively speaking nobody in the body of Christ who is not in an environment that upholds traditions and doctrines of men that are contrary to God. But even as God had a remnant in Israel who loved his law, so does he have true believers today who love his Spirit more than the religious environments that they are in. And when the pure truth is presented to them, even though they may not be able to accept it immediately, seeing it is surely foreign to them; they do NOT resist or reject it either. So why is that? Because they are MORE after the Spirit than they are the contrary doctrines that they have been taught erroneously, and they will take heed and consider the truth that is told them. I’ve seen it first hand over and over and over again. Most people are just going to reject the real truth, and yes I am talking about God’s Spirit baptized people (I Cor. 12:13). And those are the ones who love the pride that they have invested into their religious traditions more than they actually love God. But the believers who love the Spirit will never revile or reject someone who is speaking to them by the Spirit of God, because it is the same Spirit they already love and follow after as best they can. And even though they have not heard the true doctrine of the Spirit yet, they are attuned enough to the Spirit to feel it when its truth is brought forth to them by someone. It is quite simplistic really, even as the scriptures affirm: “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise,” and “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words” (Prov. 15:31; Prov. 23:9). These two kinds of ‘believers’ are going to come to the surface and be brought to light as time moves into the home stretch of this age, because God is, has been, and will be calling his people out of everything that is named Christianity. He is doing it by his Spirit and he is doing it by his truth. The big problem today is that there are so few who are actually preaching the same thing that the Spirit is saying, that they are not even on the map, so to speak. But God will finish his work, and he will expand the number and power of those who will do just that, and it will surely cause ” the fall and rising again” in the body of Christ, and “the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed” before the second coming of the Lord. Amen. Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page January 7, 2013     
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“Two Kinds of Believers”
by Lary R. Hale

Just a short post today on a very relevant matter in the body of Christ today. There are two kinds of people who are in the body of Christ in this generation. Actually these two types of people have always constituted the congregation of God’s people, old testament and new. The fact of the matter is, whether we’re talking old testament or new, the pure truth of God has NEVER been sustained or preserved among God’s people. You can do the research yourself. During old testament times, there were always idols, high places, traditions of men, false prophets, corrupt priests, and the like. By and large the worship of God from God’s people was always mixed with these other items, at best (Amos 5:25,26; Zeph. 1:4,5). This is why every prophet God sent to Israel was rejected, and often times put to death by God’s own people (Mat. 23:37). Because the prophets DID have the truth of God pure and unmixed, and they commanded the remainder of the people to forsake everything BUT the pure and true way of God, which was his law. But not everybody rejected the prophets, just almost everybody. Elijah thought he was all alone, but God let him know that he had a remnant of seven thousand who had remained faithful (I Kin. 19:14,18). And the same has been true in the body of Christ from the beginning. It didn’t take long for Stephen to be martyred, and at least most of the apostles and many other true believers followed suit. The apostle Paul by the end of his life had been firmly rejected by those he had established in Christ, for the revelation of truth that he received from the Lord for them (Gal. 1:11,12; II Tim. 1:15). So what does all of this have to do with the two types of people that I mentioned? Well, I’ve already shown one of those types, which is those who will resist and reject the pure truth of God when it is presented to them, and will even kill those who present it if the circumstances are as such. And the pure, unmixed truth is the only measuring stick that will show who is who in this mix. The prophet Simeon spoke of this meter of measurement of God’s people when he prophesied over the baby Jesus, saying that he would be “set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel,” and that he would cause “the thoughts of many hearts [to] be revealed” (Lk. 2:34,35). Jesus was and is the pure truth, and the doctrine that his Spirit teaches is the same (Jn. 16:13; I Jn. 2:27). 

Because of the Gentile congregations rejection of the truth taught to them by Paul, the body of Christ by and large has been under dominion to the traditions and doctrines of men for over 1900 years. So just to bring it up to date, here is what it comes down to: There is, relatively speaking nobody in the body of Christ who is not in an environment that upholds traditions and doctrines of men that are contrary to God. But even as God had a remnant in Israel who loved his law, so does he have true believers today who love his Spirit more than the religious environments that they are in. And when the pure truth is presented to them, even though they may not be able to accept it immediately, seeing it is surely foreign to them; they do NOT resist or reject it either. So why is that? Because they are MORE after the Spirit than they are the contrary doctrines that they have been taught erroneously, and they will take heed and consider the truth that is told them. I’ve seen it first hand over and over and over again. Most people are just going to reject the real truth, and yes I am talking about God’s Spirit baptized people (I Cor. 12:13). And those are the ones who love the pride that they have invested into their religious traditions more than they actually love God. But the believers who love the Spirit will never revile or reject someone who is speaking to them by the Spirit of God, because it is the same Spirit they already love and follow after as best they can. And even though they have not heard the true doctrine of the Spirit yet, they are attuned enough to the Spirit to feel it when its truth is brought forth to them by someone. It is quite simplistic really, even as the scriptures affirm: “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise,” and “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words” (Prov. 15:31; Prov. 23:9). These two kinds of ‘believers’ are going to come to the surface and be brought to light as time moves into the home stretch of this age, because God is, has been, and will be calling his people out of everything that is named Christianity. He is doing it by his Spirit and he is doing it by his truth. The big problem today is that there are so few who are actually preaching the same thing that the Spirit is saying, that they are not even on the map, so to speak. But God will finish his work, and he will expand the number and power of those who will do just that, and it will surely cause ” the fall and rising again” in the body of Christ, and “the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed” before the second coming of the Lord. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page January 7, 2013     

Source: byonespirit.com

Which Kingdom Are You Of?by Lary R. Hale When Jesus stood before Pilate he told him something that a whole lot of God’s people need to think about: “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (Jn. 18:36). Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, and came to prepare a way for men to be in the kingdom of God while here on earth, so that we could inherit the same kingdom of God after this life is over (Mat. 4:17; Mat. 25:34). And the Bible defines the kingdom of God and how to serve him in that kingdom with the following: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in THESE things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men” (Rom. 14:17). So the business of true followers of Jesus is the business of the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of this world. Of course we have to participate in some of the things of this life, but we are not to do so beyond a minimal degree. And why is that, you might ask? Because like Jesus, our kingdom is not of this world. The apostle Paul stated the point that I am making here: “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away” (I Cor. 7:31). And he elaborated that point a little further in another place: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (II Tim. 2:4). So again I say that someone who is truly being “led by the Spirit of God” in their life is not involving themselves unduly with things that are of the kingdom of this word. Some of the stumbling blocks that God’s people are tripping over are social issues, political matters, and anything else that involves the systems of this world. Our involvement as believers should be with the things that pertain to “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost,” in our own personal lives, and in the lives of fellow believers. There are people who are of this world that take care of the systems of this world, because THEIR kingdom IS of this world. When God’s people allow themselves either through deed or thought and word, to become “entangled with the affairs of this life,” they begin to lose their identity with the kingdom of God. This is labeled in the scriptures as being “carnally minded,” and it is also said to be spiritual death (Rom. 8:5,6). And truly it is spiritual death to identify ourselves in word of deed with the kingdom of this world, when in reality our kingdom is NOT of this world. It is a trick of the devil, and unfortunately he has been quite successful with it.  I have seen it ever since I have been in Christ; people identifying more with their carnal families than with their family in Christ; and identifying with the country they live in more than with the Kingdom of God that they have been born again into. But consider what is written regarding the patriarchs of the faith: “These all died in faith… and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:13-16). Oh my friend, I get really excited reading about these things! These words are not written about people who were “entangled with the affairs of this life,” but rather about those who knew and acted like their kingdom was not of this world. My involvement with the nation I live in is to pray for its peace, and for the guidance of the leaders thereof, and to abide lawfully (Jer. 29:7; Rom. 13:1,7; I Tim. 2:1-3). Many try to mix their faith in Christ with entanglement in the affairs of the kingdoms of this world, and that is always a deadly mix, spiritually speaking. In so many circles in the body of Christ there is so much talk about the social and political issues of this world, and it is nothing more than a confession of being carnally minded, which the scripture says is death spiritually. The apostle Paul observed this spiritual malady in his day, saying, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philip. 3:18,19). And he immediately followed that statement with the following: “For OUR conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philip. 3:19,20). The word “conversation” in this passage is from the Greek word “Politueuma,” and is defined as follows: “the administration of civil affairs or of a commonwealth.” So our commonwealth is the commonwealth of the spiritual, or heavenly kingdom of God, as the apostle stated; and our civil affairs are those that pertain to “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men” (Rom. 14:17,18). I think that sums it up. God bless. Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page November 2, 2012    
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Which Kingdom Are You Of?
by Lary R. Hale

When Jesus stood before Pilate he told him something that a whole lot of God’s people need to think about: “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (Jn. 18:36). Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, and came to prepare a way for men to be in the kingdom of God while here on earth, so that we could inherit the same kingdom of God after this life is over (Mat. 4:17; Mat. 25:34). And the Bible defines the kingdom of God and how to serve him in that kingdom with the following: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in THESE things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men” (Rom. 14:17). So the business of true followers of Jesus is the business of the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of this world. Of course we have to participate in some of the things of this life, but we are not to do so beyond a minimal degree. And why is that, you might ask? Because like Jesus, our kingdom is not of this world. The apostle Paul stated the point that I am making here: “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away” (I Cor. 7:31). And he elaborated that point a little further in another place: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (II Tim. 2:4). So again I say that someone who is truly being “led by the Spirit of God” in their life is not involving themselves unduly with things that are of the kingdom of this word. Some of the stumbling blocks that God’s people are tripping over are social issues, political matters, and anything else that involves the systems of this world. Our involvement as believers should be with the things that pertain to “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost,” in our own personal lives, and in the lives of fellow believers. There are people who are of this world that take care of the systems of this world, because THEIR kingdom IS of this world. When God’s people allow themselves either through deed or thought and word, to become “entangled with the affairs of this life,” they begin to lose their identity with the kingdom of God. This is labeled in the scriptures as being “carnally minded,” and it is also said to be spiritual death (Rom. 8:5,6). And truly it is spiritual death to identify ourselves in word of deed with the kingdom of this world, when in reality our kingdom is NOT of this world. It is a trick of the devil, and unfortunately he has been quite successful with it. 

I have seen it ever since I have been in Christ; people identifying more with their carnal families than with their family in Christ; and identifying with the country they live in more than with the Kingdom of God that they have been born again into. But consider what is written regarding the patriarchs of the faith: “These all died in faith… and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:13-16). Oh my friend, I get really excited reading about these things! These words are not written about people who were “entangled with the affairs of this life,” but rather about those who knew and acted like their kingdom was not of this world. My involvement with the nation I live in is to pray for its peace, and for the guidance of the leaders thereof, and to abide lawfully (Jer. 29:7; Rom. 13:1,7; I Tim. 2:1-3). Many try to mix their faith in Christ with entanglement in the affairs of the kingdoms of this world, and that is always a deadly mix, spiritually speaking. In so many circles in the body of Christ there is so much talk about the social and political issues of this world, and it is nothing more than a confession of being carnally minded, which the scripture says is death spiritually. The apostle Paul observed this spiritual malady in his day, saying, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philip. 3:18,19). And he immediately followed that statement with the following: “For OUR conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philip. 3:19,20). The word “conversation” in this passage is from the Greek word “Politueuma,” and is defined as follows: “the administration of civil affairs or of a commonwealth.” So our commonwealth is the commonwealth of the spiritual, or heavenly kingdom of God, as the apostle stated; and our civil affairs are those that pertain to “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men” (Rom. 14:17,18). I think that sums it up. God bless.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page November 2, 2012    

Source: byonespirit.com

Let Sin Goby Lary R. Hale My friends, let me say this as clearly as possible: There is no right way to hold on to any wrong thing. That is very simple, and very, very true. The apostle Paul said something for the ages, and it should be taken into serious consideration and heed today: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26,27). My old pastor used to say, “You can’t stop a bird from landing on your head, but you can stop it from building a nest there.” As long as we are in this world there will be things come to us that are not right, and there will be all kinds of situations that give place to wrong things coming to us. Demon spirits are in this world with us, and they will be here until we leave this world; so we will be aware of them until that time. But the battle is to not accept their suggestions and persuasions, or to act on them. The apostle Peter said it this way: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8). To get to the point, if we allow anything that is contrary to God’s love hang to around, it WILL devour us. You can let the sun go down on a whole lot of wrong things other than anger, and any one of those wrong things can and will take you down spiritually. Allowing any unrighteous thing to linger with you is exactly what Paul was referring to as “giving place to the devil.” So then, it comes down to being soberly minded and vigilant [watchful] as Peter said, and “keeping our hearts with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23). The failure to do these things can only lead to the tragic condition that Jesus spoke of, when he spoke of believers in the end time: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Mat. 24:12).  Make no mistake my friend; Jesus was speaking of the “love of God [that] is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost,” when he said it would wax cold. And just how will that love wax cold? By believers leaving off to “keep their hearts with all diligence” from everything that is contrary to that love. In other words, they will find what they think to be a right reason to hold onto something wrong in their hearts. And in doing so, they will be turned over to believe that “good is evil, and evil is good” (Isa. 5:20). And that is exactly why Jesus said that “they shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Mat. 24:10). And that is also exactly how it has and will come to pass that God’s own people have and will “kill you thinking that [they] do God service” (Jn. 16:2). There is only one remedy to that problem friend, and it is a preventative measure. It is what has been alluded to throughout this short article, and it stands alone as the pathway to salvation; which salvation is in reality the immortality attained to at the first resurrection, the “one hope” of the gospel: “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he [Christ] is pure” (I Jn. 3:2,3; I Pet. 1:5,9; I Thess. 5:8; Eph. 4:4; Rev. 20:6). And herein is the truth of Jesus’ saying that he directly stated after saying that “the love of many would wax cold:” “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mat. 24:13). And so again I say, There is no right reason to hold onto ANY wrong thing. And there is no good result to be gained by doing so, and giving place to the devil; for he is only a thief, a liar, a destroyer, and a murderer (Jn. 10:10; Jn. 8:44). Amen. Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page July 11, 2012      
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Let Sin Go
by Lary R. Hale

My friends, let me say this as clearly as possible: There is no right way to hold on to any wrong thing. That is very simple, and very, very true. The apostle Paul said something for the ages, and it should be taken into serious consideration and heed today: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26,27). My old pastor used to say, “You can’t stop a bird from landing on your head, but you can stop it from building a nest there.” As long as we are in this world there will be things come to us that are not right, and there will be all kinds of situations that give place to wrong things coming to us. Demon spirits are in this world with us, and they will be here until we leave this world; so we will be aware of them until that time. But the battle is to not accept their suggestions and persuasions, or to act on them. The apostle Peter said it this way: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8). To get to the point, if we allow anything that is contrary to God’s love hang to around, it WILL devour us. You can let the sun go down on a whole lot of wrong things other than anger, and any one of those wrong things can and will take you down spiritually. Allowing any unrighteous thing to linger with you is exactly what Paul was referring to as “giving place to the devil.” So then, it comes down to being soberly minded and vigilant [watchful] as Peter said, and “keeping our hearts with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23). The failure to do these things can only lead to the tragic condition that Jesus spoke of, when he spoke of believers in the end time: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Mat. 24:12). 

Make no mistake my friend; Jesus was speaking of the “love of God [that] is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost,” when he said it would wax cold. And just how will that love wax cold? By believers leaving off to “keep their hearts with all diligence” from everything that is contrary to that love. In other words, they will find what they think to be a right reason to hold onto something wrong in their hearts. And in doing so, they will be turned over to believe that “good is evil, and evil is good” (Isa. 5:20). And that is exactly why Jesus said that “they shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Mat. 24:10). And that is also exactly how it has and will come to pass that God’s own people have and will “kill you thinking that [they] do God service” (Jn. 16:2). There is only one remedy to that problem friend, and it is a preventative measure. It is what has been alluded to throughout this short article, and it stands alone as the pathway to salvation; which salvation is in reality the immortality attained to at the first resurrection, the “one hope” of the gospel: “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he [Christ] is pure” (I Jn. 3:2,3; I Pet. 1:5,9; I Thess. 5:8; Eph. 4:4; Rev. 20:6). And herein is the truth of Jesus’ saying that he directly stated after saying that “the love of many would wax cold:” “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mat. 24:13). And so again I say, There is no right reason to hold onto ANY wrong thing. And there is no good result to be gained by doing so, and giving place to the devil; for he is only a thief, a liar, a destroyer, and a murderer (Jn. 10:10; Jn. 8:44). Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page July 11, 2012      

Source: byonespirit.com