Overcoming Life

I John 5:4, “Faith is the victory that overcomes the world”. 

II Peter 1:3-9

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Brother, I think I see it now. There is no sin that Jesus Christ has not overcome. The reason we struggle is that we are not looking to Him, in faith, for the power to conquer our natural lives. The lynchpin, the foundation, is our faith. But as Peter says, we must ADD to our faith a chain of virtues that ends in Love. 

I believe faith must be like an emulsifying agent. All of the righteousness of Jesus Christ dwells in a believer, but we must activate it by faith. As we heard at the conference, we are not talking about some sort of works that make us at least more holy than we were before. Many have tried this. All have failed. Instead, there must be an APPROPRIATION of the life of Christ that is already in us. 

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live, Romans 8:13

What is Paul saying here? If we try to do this on our own natural power, we fail. But if we activate the power of the Holy Spirit in us, and TRUST him completely, victory is the result. 

Sweet Aroma or Offensive Smell?

 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. Second Corinthians 2:15

The LORD has created a world where there are many aromas. Once you catch a whiff of something cooking in the oven, you know immediately what is in there. Beef stew? Roast? Bread? Surely the pleasure of such smells is part of the reason we can enjoy life so. Of course, if the cook is careless, and leaves the food on the stove too long, the offensive stench of burnt food is a warning that if we don't do something quick, the next call will be 911! 

Thus it is with our spiritual lives. The Bible tells us that if any man be in Christ, he has become a new creation, that all of the old things have passed away, and the new life has taken hold. Where before, our aroma was that of death, now we have become sweet smelling. The fruit of our lives, which was formally "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, heresies, envying, murders, drunkness, revelings and such", now has become "Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance". This has not been the result of our labor, but that of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. 

However, this new life is offensive to some. We must understand that though we are being changed, "From one degree of glory to another", that change is bringing the presence of Christ into contact with those who do not want anything to do with Him. We are being changed, but not for the better, in their eyes. Jesus said, "If they hated me, they will hate you". This has been the history of the true Church throughout the centuries. Darkness hates the Light, and will go to any measure to suppress it. 

So, brothers and sisters, let's not give in to discouragement. If they hated Him, they will hate us. But for those whom God is calling to be saved, we will be that sweet, sweet aroma of the Jesus that saved us, and is calling them. 

Amen.  

True Worship

 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24

Miriam was just going to get water. It was the same thing every day. There were other wells, but here, outside of town, at the hottest hour of the day, she knew she would not be harassed. She was an outcast who lived in a city of outcasts. Her life was a mess and she did not want to be reminded of it. 

So she gets to the well, but much to her surprise, she is not alone. A Jewish man is there as well. First of all, He's not supposed to be there. Jews would NEVER come through her parts. The Jews looked down on the Samaritan people as they were not pure blooded descendants of Abraham like they were. And even if they did come to Samaria, they certainly would not have any dealings with them. Second, Miriam is a woman. In her culture, a man would NEVER speak to a woman who was not his relative. It just was not done. 

But Jesus asks Miriam, "Give to me a drink". This was the first of many shock waves that He will drop on her. Her response? Well, Jesus, need I remind you that your group does not talk to Samaritans, and that you are a man, and I am a woman, and yet you are asking ME for a drink of water? I am beyond surprised. Well, Miriam, if you knew who it is who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you a drink of living water. So Miriam, who has come in shame to seek natural water, has been offered instead some LIVING water, to quench the pain in her soul. 

But she doesn't yet understand this. She is still trying to get her natural thirst quenched. "Jesus, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep, where are you going to get this living water"? Miriam, whoever drinks of the natural water in this well will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will become a well of water full of eternal life. Really Jesus? I can drink and never thirst again? Where do I sign up? I am so tired of my old life. I want some of your water. 

"Go call your husband and come back". Jesus drops the hammer on her, not out of spite, but from His compassionate heart. He knows that for Him to minister to her, the truth must come out. He knows who she is, and what she has done, but He is not ashamed to offer her a drink. Miriam, you've had five husbands, and the guy you're with now is someone else's husband. Silence. Taken back, she perceives He is a prophet. Not knowing what else to say, she asks Him about who is right, her people or His people, about salvation, what mountain to worship God on. "Miriam, it doesn't matter. All who will worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. This is the true worship. 

So my friends, what is Jesus referring to here? What does it mean to worship God in Spirit and in Truth? Spirit is really hard to explain. Jesus told Nicodemus that spirit is like wind. How so? I suppose if you've ever thought about it, where does the wind come from? Nobody knows. Where is it going? No clue. But ask anyone whose ever lived in Kansas. They'll tell you the wind is very much real! We can see a person's body with our natural eyes. We can experience people's soul in our observation of their minds, wills and emotions. And yet, is the body and the soul all there is to a person? Is there not something mysterious, that if you were to take away the body and the soul, would still remain? That is the spirit of a man. 

As for Truth, well, the Bible matters. We can know God only in our spirits, Jesus is telling the woman at the well. But spirits can be deceived. We might think we are hearing from God, but how can we know for sure? This is where a full knowledge of what God has written in His Word is essential. If what you think you are hearing from God is clearly contradicted by what He has already said, that is a warning that you are NOT hearing from him. For example, someone might say, "I believe God is leading me to divorce my spouse". No, He is not. Jesus said it's man and woman, for life. Or perhaps you think he's leading you to go into business with a nonbeliever. Again, no, for He says not to be unequally yoked together with nonbelievers. Without the Spirit, the Bible is just words on a page. Without the Bible, our spirits can easily be deceived and we can be led astray. So let us be spirit led, but guided by the Truth, saints!

My friend, do you, like Miriam, find yourself immersed in sin and shame? Are you tired of living a life that seems just goes from one crisis to another? As the song goes, have you been seeking that which does not satisfy? Jesus offers you a drink of Living Water. He is inviting you to know Him. It's as simple as ABC!

Admit, accept that what you're life has been is hopeless. Wondering from one relationship to another, working dead end jobs, pursuing all sorts of pleasures have NOT truly satisfied that longing in your soul. Indeed, you are ready to drink of His living water. You are ready to come to Him. And He stands ready to come to you. Just ask!

Believe, trust, confide in Him. This is not just believing some statement about Christ, but rather letting go and trusting Him for everything, never looking back. 

Confess with your mouth that you have admitted your sin, and that you have indeed believed. Words matter. Paul writes in Romans 10:10, "For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation". Will you pray this today? Will you ask Him for His living water? He stands at the door of your heart and knocks. If you open the door, He will come in and dine with you. 

"Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up Lord, 

    come and quench this thirsting of my soul

Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more

    fill my cup, I lift it up, and make me whole"

The Power of Praise

 I will bless the LORD at all times:

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the LORD:

the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD, and he heard me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

The way of the Kingdom is not the way of the world. Jesus said "My Kingdom is not of this world". The focus of the believer is not on this world, the things of this world or its cares. The Kingdom way transcends all of this. The way of the world is avoiding suffering and pursuing pleasure. The Kingdom way is enduring suffering knowing that the character formed while here on earth will result in great reward in Heaven. 

Here David is on the run from Saul. He has sunk so low he had to pretend he was crazy to get away from the enemy. If he were a normal man, one would expect him to write something complaining about how God had abandoned him. But this is not what we see here. No, David says he will bless the LORD at ALL times, and that His praise will continually be in his mouth! His soul boasts in the LORD, and his testimony goes out. He invites others to "Magnify the LORD with me, and exalt His Name together". How is this possible, saints?

In a word, Revelation. Jesus tells us that we will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. If you will, you could compare this to a foreign language. If you do not know the language that is spoken, the message will mean nothing to you. If, on the other hand, you know the language, you will be able to understand. God's language, brothers and sisters, is the Cross. The message of the Cross is foolishness to the unredeemed mind. How can death be, in reality, a victory? The religious crowd thinks, "No, you have to do something to be saved". The secular folks just ask, "Why does anyone need to be saved"? "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness", I Corinthians 1:23. 

So praising God in the midst of the storm, as David is doing, makes no sense to the unsanctified mind. Why give thanks to God when you find yourself in a horrible situation? Well, this is where revelation comes in, saints. First of all, guess what? This old world, it aint our home! Phillipians 3:20 tells us that our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Why is this important when we are going through a trial? Well, duh, no matter WHAT is happening here on earth, it is only TEMPORARY! Yes, this world is full of tribulation. Jesus promised that it would be thus, but He promises us that we can be of good cheer, for He has overcome this world. There indeed will come that great and glorious Day when Jesus returns with his saints, for His saints, and we shall ever be with Him in glory. We might be busted up today, but the Hope of His return can carry us through. So we can forget today's trauma. In light of Eternity, it is nothing. Paul writes in Romans 8:18, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time and not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Today there is sorrow, but tomorrow there is glory. We can rest in this promise, saints. 

Second, the trials of our life have PURPOSE. Many years ago, I was listening to a sermon on Romans 8. For some reason, the pastor stopped at verse 28. I suppose this verse is familiar to many of you. 

    "And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose". 

I do not recall what the pastor was saying about this verse, but what I will never forget is the nudge of the Holy Spirit. He told me, "He might be done, but I am NOT, read the next verse". 

    "For those whom He foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be firstborn among many brothers". 

How many things is all things? Does all things include things that might not seem so pleasant at the time? "Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or sword, separate us from the love of Christ?". 8:35. Yes, indeed, all things means all things. Why? Because in faith, praising the Lord through our life's trials, we are becoming more and more like Jesus! Can someone say amen? This is the glory that is to be revealed in us. This is our testimony. This is how we are defeating our enemy, who is making all sorts of accusations against us, implying that God does NOT love us, and that this trial is proof of this. No, devil, we do NOT agree. The stronghold is broken. We won't be listening to you anymore. ALLELUJAH. 

Saints, one of my all time favorite scripture passages is found in the fourth chapter of the second letter to the Corinthians, verses 16 to 18. 

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary, affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond al comparison, as we look NOT to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal"

Really Paul? Light, momentary affliction? Weren't you shipwrecked, weren't you beaten with rods, weren't you so burdened with the care for the saints that you could hardly breathe? Saints, it just doesn't matter what the trial is. Jesus Christ, in us, has already overcome it. I am not suggesting that the trial of our faith is a bowl of cherries. Far from it. No trial is a lot of fun, but the eyes of faith show us that whatever our testing, it's all worth it. Therein is our rest. Therein is the key to our praise. 

Third, in God's economy, everything that He does, or does not do, must be understood in light of our eternal souls. Does God care when we are sick, or burdened by a relationship, or a dead end job? Of course He does. But often times, we might wonder, if God cares so much, why He doesn't appear to answer our call for help? Well, of course, no one can know for sure, but we must keep in mind that His primary objective is not temporary relief from an unpleasant trial, but permanent character formation. This is the gold, the precious jewels, the eternal values that He is using to prepare us for Eternity. We do not do well to complain. That is an indication of unbelief. Rather, when we see the Cross, our response is Acceptance with Joy, as the disciple Much Afraid found out in the beautiful story "Hind's Feet in High Places" by Hannah Hurnard. 

Friend, you may not yet see this. You may not yet understand how indeed ALL things work together for good. How then can you get this? Well, let me tell you about a man I will call Nick. Now Nick was a great religious teacher, who came to visit Jesus one night. He had observed that Jesus was doing many miracles, and that He must have come from God, for no one could do them if not from God. So what is your question, Nick? Well, Jesus you must be who you say you are, but you just don't fit with our expectations. Why do you work on the Sabbath? Why don't you try to observe Torah? Why can't I get this? You must be who you say you are, but well, you just can't be. Help me out Jesus. 

"Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". Huh? What to you mean? Can a man enter again into his mothers womb a second time? No, Nick, "Verily verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Sprit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, 'ye must be born again', for the wind blows where it will, and you can hear the sound, but you don't know where it's coming from or where it is going - so it is with everyone that is born of the Spirit." 

Um, Jesus, I still don't get it. Look, Nick, aren't you a great religious teacher? How is it that you don't understand? I told you about the wind, which is something from earth you should understand, but you don't. How then will you understand if I tell you about heavenly things? But Jesus doesn't leave Nick hanging. He refers him to a story in the 21'st chapter of Numbers, which was very familiar. In this story, the people were getting discouraged. No bread. No water. All we have is this strange food falling out of the sky. What, you want us to eat baManna bread the rest of our lives? To make matters worse, the LORD sent fiery serpents among them, and many were dying from the bites. Well, they repented, and the LORD asked Moses to set up an image of a snake on a pole. If any man looked at the image, he would be healed. 

So how can this help our friend Nick? Jesus said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever should believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life". John 3:16 is of course a very well known verse. I sometimes tease my fellow Gideons that if they can't cite this verse by memory, they should lose their Gideon cards! But just what is Jesus telling Nick here? What is the essential thing he must do so that he can understand? Look, Nick, Look. Look upon me hanging there on the cross, an image of shame. But look again, my friend. See that I am dying for you. See that what is keeping me on that cross is not the Roman nails, but my love for you. Turn to me, Nick. See that the cross is not my shame, but my glory. Then you can understand. But you must first turn by faith. 

There is a great hymn which asks, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?". Of course, we weren't physically there, but by faith we can place ourselves there. As I said last month, the gospel really is as simple as ABC. 

A. Admit. I suppose this is the hardest step. We are so used to trying to live as good of a life as we can, hoping that somehow God would accept us. Cain, the brother of Abel, tried this. It did not work for him, and it will not work for us. Living a good life is just not possible. God is Holy, and only perfection is good enough. 

B. Believe. This is what Jesus is inviting us to do. Once we have admitted we can not possibly be holy, He is asking us to believe. This is no mental assent to a fact, though it must begin there. Rather, believing is a radical casting of ourselves upon that cross, and trusting only in the finished work that Jesus has done there. His last words were, "It is finished", and by faith, we must completely trust that everything that ever needed to be done, was done by our Lord and Saviour on that cross. Nothing can be added. This is what CS Lewis called "Mere Christianity", this is the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ, this is all that we need, all that we will ever need. On no other basis than the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus will we be presented holy before God. 

C. Confess. Belief must of course come first, but our words matter. In Romans chapter 10, verse 9, Paul writes, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved". This is our confession. Has Jesus Christ been crucified? Yea, and I with Him. Has Jesus Christ been buried? Yea, and so am I buried in baptism. But O the glory, saints, Has Jesus Christ been raised from the dead? Yea, and so are all who believe. As Paul writes to the Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but CHRIST LIVES IN ME!". The life I live in this body, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself up for me". Herein is our Rock. Herein is our place of rest. Troubles will come, but they don't matter. We will rest in His finished work on the cross. Let us pray. 

Sweet and Bitter

 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

I dreamed a dream. The whirlwind has come. It is a monster. No one will be safe. Judgment has been declared, it is now upon us. As it happens, I have just made a pitcher of lemonade, and I have it in my hands. The LORD tells me that the people will be thirsty, and that I should take it with me. In the next scene, I am back at my childhood home. How to warn the people? I cannot just tell them what I saw - they do not, and will not, see the storm. Perhaps I can remind them of the Palm Sunday tornado of 1967 that just barely missed our neighborhood? Someone has landed a plane. Surely they were able to see the threat from the air? No. The only discussion was the cost of fuel for the plane. The last scene is on Maui. Something about a tour company, and where to start their tours. 

I see what I see. Lemonade is not the first thing people will ask for when they are thirsty, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Yes, the Word of the LORD is sweet to those whom He is calling. They will receive it with joy. But I know that for most, that Word is bitter, and they will walk away. I am not called to preach to a people of a foreign tongue, whose ways are not my ways. No, my call is to my own neighborhood, to those I know, and who know me. When I awake and get up, I set off the car alarm in my pocket. 

Here then is my Word to you, my son. Do not be picky about how, and when, I send you. I will send you indeed to a people whose hearts are dull, and who cannot hear. Be ever hearing, O people, but never understanding. Yet I will fill thy mouth with my Eternal Word. I will cause you to understand. Some will indeed find this Word to be sweet. They will drink, they will be saved. Most will not. They will hate you even as they hated me. Be not afraid, nor let thy heart be troubled. 

I could seem to be the last person on earth He would choose to proclaim this Word. That's the point. When His Spirit comes upon me, my words will be sweet to some. They will not care whom the LORD has chosen to proclaim His Word. Others will mock - who has given that guy the authority to preach? The message begins at home, but where it takes me, I will not know. Maui is the most geographically isolated place on Earth. God's Word is not, and never will be, chained. 2 Timothy 2:9. His Spirit will take me where it will, when it will, as Phillip was sent to the court official of Ethiopia. Then it picked him up and carried him off. 

Where do we go from here?

 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. Ezekiel 33:2-4.

Where is the world headed? Mystery drones fly unfettered in the face of all our leaders. Congress tries to pass laws to make sure they are not held accountable for their lies. An out of control President abuses his power to let his son off. It all seems so dystopian. Even Orson Wells would never have dreamed of this, and he wrote the book 1948. 

The trumpet has been sounded. They have tried to eliminate the watchman, but instead he has been elected leader of the free world. Will we head his warning, and turn away from our sins? Yes, I know, he does seem to be a rather odd person to be calling the nation to repentance, but he has issued the clarion call nevertheless. The least we can do is pray for the man. 

We cannot assume the attacks are finished. The Lord has promised that those who bless Israel, He will bless. I believe He has withheld His hand of judgment against America as He has not yet finished with us. As long as we stand beside the Jewish nation, we will be spared. Once we turn away from them, it's all over. 

I once had a dream. Planes from the USA were attacking Israel. Guess what? They were going down in flames. The world will indeed unite against Ha Eretz, but "He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps". Psalm 121:4. Israel will retake all of her land, and will again be sovereign over all the Promised Land. Then will all the nations of the world attack. Failure. 

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper those that love thee". Psalm 122:6.

Faith or works?

 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-9.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:7-9.

The juxtaposition of faith vs. works has been tested throughout the church age. Paul tells the Ephesians that they had nothing to do with their works, but James on the other hand says, "Faith without works is dead". Is faith enough, or must there also be the "fruit of repentance" as John the Baptist preached? 

Well, certainly faith IS enough, in fact, faith is "The only way to please God", writes the author of Hebrews. But what is faith? What is belief? Is it simply agreeing with a fact? No, for James writes that the devil's believe that fact, and they tremble. I have heard an old story about a daredevil named Blondin. He was a circus acrobat who had stretched a cable across the mouth of the Niagara River, just before the falls. He told the crowd that he would now cross that cable with a wheelbarrow blindfolded! He asked the crowd if they thought he could do this, and many shouted yes. His next question, though, was "who will get in?". And thus true faith is illustrated. Not only do we agree that God is enough, our faith must be made real by actually placing our trust in Him. 

How many of us in this camp meeting have a testimony about what it actually means to trust God? I'd venture to say that we could easily take up the rest of our meeting and then some to listen to all of them! Hebrews chapter 11 lists the testimonies of the OT saints. So we are indeed surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Our testimonies are added to theirs and together we rejoice with them. My challenge, though, is not about the times when we have had no choice but the trust God, and found that He was indeed enough. No, how do we deal with the every day reality that we find ourselves in? Are there what Hebrews calls "besetting sins that so easily entangle us". How well do we overcome in the seemingly endless days of ordinary life? 

I cannot speak for any other camp member. I can only offer my own testimony. Let's just say that overcoming besetting sins has not ordinarily  been a part of my experience. Looking back on my life, my assumption has rather been that, well, no one is perfect, and I am trying my best, but mastery over sin is not possible. But is that what the Word of God teaches? Certainly not! What then have I been missing? I believe what I was missing was actual TRUST in the power of the Holy Spirit to, as John writes, "cleanse me from ALL my sin"! The key, I am convinced, is to first of all repent, which simply means changing my mind about my sins. I must not believe that sin is inevitable, but rather invite the Holy Spirit to search my heart, Psalm 139:23-24. When He examines me, and challenges me to think again, I am giving then the opportunity to confess those sins, and be cleansed from their power over me. 

Will this be challenged? Absolutely! Satan will demand to "sift us like wheat". If my sin be materialism, he will attack my possessions. If it be envy, he will make sure my undeserving neighbor will be given a position ahead of me. The question then is, "In whom will I put my trust"? Will I get in the wheelbarrow, or turn aside? But if we have committed ourselves to repentance, the Holy Spirit will be at our side, "taking every thought captive" to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Let us accept this challenge saints!