Transcript: Creating a Godly Atmosphere in Your Life

Music Music The title of this message today is called, What Kind of the Atmosphere Are You Creating for Yourselves? And we're going to begin in God's Word today in Psalms 17, verse 4. The Word of the Lord declares, By the word of your lips, O God, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. these were the words of David as he was in prayer before the Lord one day and this is saying that David had been careful or he refused to fall into sinful actions or sinful words and he was stating a personal election of his heart in his prayer to God in this particular psalm and by heeding the words of the command and the precepts of God David's words show us that we should not give right or authority to the evil one called Satan the devil by giving him the right to tear up our pathway which leads us into the heart of our heavenly father. David had endeavored to maintain his place and position in the Lord but also in the kingdom that God had entrusted him with. David also made effort to help others to keep their way free of the destroyer too. Now it's good for you to understand here, if you do not already know, that the ways of sin are the paths of the destroyer. The ways of sin are the paths of the destroyer. Satan delights in ruining the souls of men, women and children by deceiving and trapping them into the paths of sin. You know, it is really smart of us to keep out of the paths of the evil one. And he is always tempting to lure us into some kind of a temptation, one kind or another. But you must remember, temptation is not sin. No, temptation is not sin until you bite on it and act it out by way of your actions, your deeds, and your words. And then it is called sin. and if we find ourselves on a pathway that is not a pleasant one we must certainly contribute it in some kind or manner of sin in our lives either by omission or commission so we have only ourselves to blame as God certainly is not responsible for our choice or our lack of responsibility to say no when we ought to have and David shows in these scriptures that God's word is to be our guide and our rule in keeping out of the paths of the destroyer by respectful obedience to God's directions and admonitions and if we make a practice of this we will keep ourselves free from the temptations of the wicked one and then he will not have the authority to touch us with his arsenal of alarming and frightening terror. David prays for God's work of grace in his own life when he says in verse 5, My steps have held closely to your paths, to the track of the one who has gone on before. My feet have not slipped. I have called upon you, O God, for you will hear me, incline your ear to me and hear my speech oh Lord well one thing for sure dear church we learn in our growing years in God's word is that his grace and his mercy is what really sustains us our faith and obedience is equally important and this pleases God in that he will incline his ear to hear our prayers he'll hear our please. He'll hear our cries just like he did in answering David. It's really good for us to get a clear understanding of what really pleases God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. It really should be our first and foremost aim in our thoughts and our prayers is, oh how can I please my God, oh Lord, how can I please you? What delights your heart? You see, David was very aware of his weaknesses, especially after he had committed his great crime of sin by committing adultery with Bathsheba. And his prayer here, though, in these verses is, oh Lord, hold me up that my foot will not slip against you and that I may never do or say anything that looks either dishonest or distrustful to you, neither to your divine government or your promises. See, David's entreating God for his favor in his own life. And he knows that he needs God's favor and divine protection. I guess we should know that too. In Psalms 5.11, King David says, But let all who take refuge in you be glad. Let them sing ever for joy. Spread your protection over them, those who love your name, that they may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous and you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Hear that? That's in verse 12. That it ends with, you surround them with your favor as with a shield. How many of you know that without God's divine protection round about you like a shield, you would be mincemeat? Making mincemeat of someone or anything is an idiom that means to utterly destroy. And this is Satan's plan, dear church. His aim is to steal, kill, and destroy. destroying is the precious inheritance, the redeemed of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Psalms 3, verse 3, David exclaims, O Lord, you are a shield around me. You bestow glory on me and lift up my head. And to the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Praise the Lord. What assurance and what comfort to know that the living God hears your cries and that he'll answer your prayers. Amen. Hallelujah. That gives me sheer comfort. Gives me assurance to know God means what he says and he'll do as he says. Praise God. Well, going back to our opening scripture, David said in Psalm 17, verse 4, By the word of your lips, O God, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. We saw in the opening that it behooves us to obey the commands or the precepts of God's word. And this word also stresses that if you do not heed or do not live and practice the word of God, that you actually will create your own negative atmosphere and circumstances by invoking the demonic realm by the destructive power of your sinful words, your sinful actions and deeds. You know, there are many people in the church, such as husbands and wives, or members within the family, or friends, or brethren, Brethren or individuals whose words are like acid retorts or sharp swords when they relate to one another. You've heard the saying of someone having an acid tongue or their words are like sharp swords. And so many of God's people live in bondage because they do not obey God's precious commands. They do not put on Christ as the essential of building Christian character, as the full armor and defense against the onslaught of the devil's attacks. Rather than the atmosphere of heaven, these people have created an atmosphere of calamity, of misery, of misfortune and disaster, of poverty and sorrow. they never have enough there's just never enough nearly three and a half years ago I found myself suddenly in a health crisis and never had I experienced anything like this in my entire life in the way of sickness as I had with this attack on my life it was in my darkest hour facing the enemy of death when the Lord Jesus Christ broke through the darkness and appeared to me in the light of his glory and said I am Jesus, I am your Savior my peace I leave you, my peace I give you I will restore you my beloved Savior spoke many more things to me that night but when he finished sharing his heart for my life He gave me a living vision, which I shall never forget as long as I live. What love of my Savior to give me such a gift and a promise. In the vision, he showed me in the midst of around seven to eight holy warring angels. The angels had their backs towards me and were completely surrounding me. And each one had a sword and they also had a shield. The shields were all touching one another as they made a complete circle around me. And the swords were held upward over the angels' heads, forming like a tent over me since I was in the midst of them. The scripture in Proverbs 30 verse 5 immediately came to mind. Every word of God is pure And he is a shield to those who put their trust in him And surely this one applies too in Psalms 5.11 Let all who take refuge in you be glad Let them ever sing for joy Spread your protection over them That those who love your name may rejoice in you For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous you surround them with your favor as with a shield. The peace that Jesus gave to me that night was surely as the scripture in Isaiah 66 promises. And for this is what the Lord says, I will extend peace like a river to you. Praise God. And not only has he extended his peace like a river to me, but he's healed me of one of the infirmities that hit me over three years ago. How many of you know that waiting on God is the hardest part of your Christian journey? Isn't it true that we are all like a little two-year-old and want everything right now? That's so very true. Well, that is so for an immature Christian. but waiting on the Lord has its benefits and we see this benefit of waiting in Isaiah 30 verse 18 yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love he'll conquer you to bless you just as he said for the Lord is faithful to his promises blessed are those who wait for him to help them the Lord will conquer you to bless you dear one he knows the way to conquer your heart entirely he longs for you to learn to allow him to create his atmosphere of peace and love in your life so you will fulfill your reason for being waiting on God does not mean that you'll sit back with a glass of lemonade and a box of chocolates and watch soap operas. Don't think so, God forbid. I don't even know if there's such a thing as soap operas today since we haven't had a television for over 12, 15 years. But my point and case here is that you will not walk in calamity, which is constant, habitual sinfulness, sinful passions, anxiety, misery, misfortune, poverty, and sorrow because of not obeying and submitting to God's ways of righteousness and purity. Let me tell you that this heavenly atmosphere does not happen by osmosis either. This atmosphere is created by your obedience and your submission to your new life in Jesus Christ. and when Jesus says follow me he means just that he means follow in my footsteps and learn from my ways and by my life in how you should conduct yourself as my child and when you please your precious Savior he provides you with the heavenly hosts who walk with you and they create an umbrella of protection over you this angelic protection provides this heavenly atmosphere and the peace of God that is stable and an ever-present force in your life. And this peace carries with it a presence of God which envelops you. You experience it as a manifested closeness and a companionship of a God kind. Remember that God had said to Moses, My presence shall go with you and I will give you rest. and rest here means quietness and peace and this is opposite of fear, of anxiety or unrest in your soul due to sin the presence of God is his own personal presence and can come by way as well by his holy angels whom he sends from his sanctuary God's providence provides for his angelic protection and this heavenly atmosphere, which is like the cloud that followed the Israelites through the desert. And there are ways that you can have comfort and peace in knowing that this safety and this atmosphere is guaranteed for you as an obedient and submissive child of God. Remember, this is a promise. According to Psalms 91, verse 11, he will give his angels special charge over you to accompany, to defend and preserve you in all your ways, hear this in all your ways of obedience and service the first requirement to qualify for God's divine protection and safety is that you must have simple and humble faith in Jesus Christ and must not put your faith in your own strength this faith does not waver nor is it filled with doubt to be clothed in humility means that you will be clothed in God's righteousness we have a message which is titled true humility and you can find that message on our website under the link called audio Christian teachings and you may access our website at www.shininglight7ministries.com Again, that is www.shininglight7ministries.com Now, humility is the opposite of pride. Speaking of humble faith here, humble faith in Jesus Christ and this kind of humble faith is absolutely opposite of pride dear ones Zephaniah 2 declares, seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility, and perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's vengeance. Humility and faith go hand in hand. Your faith will definitely not be a true faith if it is not a humble faith. Humility and righteousness, as I say, are synonymous with one another. The word tells us to seek humility and possibly we will be sheltered or protected on the day of the Lord's anger. Now the second requirement for God's promise of angelic protection requires your obedience. It's obedience. It's just like that. This means just what it says and unequivocally it must be so. It is required and necessary for you to live according to God's commands. Jesus said, Obey every command that I have given to you. You do this first of all because God commands it. Amen? That means that you will not pick and choose what you will obey, but you will obey the Lord your God in all ways, in all things. Now, maybe it's a time of great introspection for the body of Christ in this day and hour. a few weeks ago I was conducting a Bible study on the cleansing passion of the Holy Spirit when in the middle of the Bible study the Spirit of the Lord interrupted me and said speak this out the day of my grace is being lifted from many in the body of Christ because they are not taking my command serious and so the Lord sang that his grace will be lifted from many in the body of Christ because they are not taking serious his commands. They are not taking serious their Christian walk and Christian journey. You see, the angelic protection or the atmosphere from heaven is not worth taking a chance over, dear church. it definitely will be lifted due to lack of personal obedience and submission on yours and my part we dare not take the word of the Lord lightly we dare not take this Christian way of life lightly a third thing to keep in mind regarding God's angelic protection is that you must have a deep unwavering trust in fact your trust should be childlike when relating and interacting with God an example of childlike trust here is the story of a frantic mother who called her pastor one day she was experiencing a bad case of what some people call a bad case of nerves the pastor thought he heard a little child's voice in the background while the mother was speaking So he asked her, he said, is your child as upset and worried as you are? Oh, no, of course not, the mother replied. The pastor persisted, but why not? And the anxious mother said, well, I suppose she puts her trust in me and lets me do the worrying. The pastor said, then make a change. Try to think of yourself as that little child and put your trust in God, just as she's putting her trust in you. Well, so many people live in constant state of anxiety and worry and fear and never associate it with unbelief or lack of trusting Christ, who says, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. You see, the yokes of the commands of Jesus is an easy yoke. Jesus says, my yoke is easy, so this is saying that my yoke is sweet and pleasant and there is nothing that will be considered weighty or burdensome in carrying my yoke. you see dear one our burden generally has to do with sin and Jesus has taken our sin and now he says learn of me just learn of me learn my ways and in learning of Christ your Savior what you are learning is that your whole way of life and nature is being transformed into the very image and the very likeness of the one who died for you you are being yoked together with the triune God who is a God of love and this love is pleasant and kind and very gracious and when your trust is in him you find that you are trusting in what your Savior did for you on the cross and gave you everything you need to overcome sin in your life your trust is in what he has promised dear ones this goes very deep just like the taproot of a big oak tree that goes to great extremes to find its source of water so that it may flourish an example of ultimate trust or maybe we could say this account represents a kind of fanatical security in Christ this true account reports in the second century a Christian was brought before a pagan ruler and was told to renounce his faith if you don't do it I will banish you threatened the king the man smiled and answered you can't banish me from Christ for he says I will never leave thee nor forsake thee to this the king angrily retorted then I will confiscate your property and I'll take all of your possessions and again the man smiled and said my treasures are all laid up in heaven and you cannot get to them and the king became furious and shouted then I will kill you why the man shouted I've been dead for 40 years I've been dead with Christ dead to the world and my life is hid with Christ in God and you cannot touch it. In desperation, the king turned to his advisors and asked, what can you do with a fanatic like that? The Lord expects the same kind of mature or maybe we should say this kind of perfect trust or as in this testimony, this kind of fanatical kind of trust as we learn to wait on him as he promised to do what he said that he would do. Learning to wait on God takes trust. And you see again as you learn to wait on God, you learn to not become anxious and you learn to stand on the promises based on God's holy word as you make it a practice to eat and feed on his truth every day just as in the example of the Israelites. who were to gather fresh manna every day while they wandered in the desert. Led by the cloud in the desert, they experienced God's presence, his manifested presence, and the guarantee of his divine protection. You not wander off the path, but you will constantly hear his voice. In Isaiah 30, verse 20, the word declares, and though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet your teachers will not be moved to a corner anymore but your eyes shall see your teachers your ear shall hear the word behind you saying this is the way walk in it whenever you turn to the left or whenever you turn to the right you will also defile the covering of your images of silver and the ornaments of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing and you will say to them, Get away. You see, the angelic realm the Lord assigns to you to keep you on this highway of holiness endeavors to keep your feet on the path so that you will not deviate to the left nor to the right but rather that you would constantly move forward all the while learning to trust in the one who went to the extreme of the cross to save you from your sins and also that he would have full and total ownership of your life. This requires absolute unwavering trust and belief in his finished work on the cross and also in what he commands for you to do in his holy book of life. With this understanding, we come to the next point in the assurance that the Father's divine, angelic protection is afforded us. And this is holding to the path with unyielding, unwavering, strict integrity to hold fast to the truths and the principles of the truth, no matter what may come your way. You and I are promised trials and tribulations at times during our Christian walk. And we're also instructed in why we have these trials. In James 1.2, the word tells us, Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped or you encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. You see, when we have temptations, God is providing the opportunity for us to say no to the evil one. It's just like that. It's an opportunity to say no. You know you step on the head of the enemy whenever you say no to a temptation. You crush the head of the enemy when you say no. Simple as that. Remember again, temptation is not sin until you bite the bait of Satan the evil one and do what it is that he is tempting and enticing you to do in the way of satisfying the fleshly passions and the greed nature of your unregenerate soul, which Jesus Christ alone provided as a way out for you when he died on the cross, spilled his precious blood and says, Now follow me, emulate me, pattern yourself after me. This unyielding and unwavering strict integrity integrity, to hold fast to the truths and principles of God's word, no matter what may come your way in the way of trials and tribulations of any kind, is saying that persecution will bring perfection. Hallelujah! Persecution will bring perfection if you do it God's way. 1 Peter 1.6 declares, In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. Verse 7, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see him, yet believing you rejoice with joy. And at the same time, you receive the result, the outcome, the consummation of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Hallelujah. Your faith is being tested and refined, dear church, and you are being refined in your suffering. Your spirit, your soul, and your body are being perfected in this awesome and most unique divine process of God's way for us to become his holy people. A kingdom of kings and priests. His holy people. We have a message that is entitled You are refined in your sufferings. And again when you go to our website www.shininglight7ministries.com you'll find that this message will give you clear insight to the necessity and the importance of the beautiful refinement of God's process in this way in your life. And it is important that you never violate God's truths and principles when it comes to holding fast during any trial or any kind of persecution. Do not ask what you get out of it as you go through any trial. Don't say, what do I get out of this, God? What are you going to give me? Peter said, well, we've given up everything. But you should know without a doubt that you're receiving the best gift ever, and this is eternal life provided by Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Your love for him should grow and prosper as long as you go through this most unique way of your soul's perfection and maturity. pursue the truth and hate it not as you travel along this sometimes very rough road and through storms of life cling to the truth and God's holy angelic protection will keep and guide you as you journey down this road as you are being transformed you're being refined you're being sanctified through your trials This brings us then to the next promise of God's angelic protection. And this comes as you serve him. Understand that your service to God is not your own choice or choosing, dear one. The Lord Jesus Christ himself gives the call. and the Holy Spirit equips you with the necessary gifts in order for you to be effective in your service to your glorious King and Father in Heaven. Your part to this holy consecration to God is to say, Here I am, Lord. Send me. Some people say, I'll do anything you want, Lord, but just don't send me to Africa or don't send me to India or don't send me to wherever it is that they say, don't send me or don't do this, I won't do this, I won't do that. But you see, you cannot tell God how to do his job. But dear church, you must place yourself completely at his service and allow him to fulfill his plans for you when he says in Jeremiah 29 verse 11, I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. plans to prosper you and not harm you plans to give you a hope and a future you just ask the Lord how can I bring glory to your name Father how may I please you with my service to your kingdom Jesus in this way you're leaving everything up to his sovereignty and when you do things his way you will be promised divine protection and the atmosphere that you are creating for yourself will be a very pleasant one, a most joyful one, even though you might face many bitter and sore trials along the way. The last point I wish to leave you with today regarding the angelic protection you will be given comes as you earnestly and you honestly, sincerely practice the command to come out of her, my people. this is speaking of consecration dear church this command of Jesus is found in Revelation 18 verse 4 I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my people lest you share in her sins lest you receive of her plagues though we live in the world we are commanded to not partake of sins that make the world filthy and lead multitudes on the broad way or the path that leads to eternal destruction. You and I are raised from the dead and given a new life in Christ Jesus And we are to conform to our holy pattern who is Jesus Christ Lazarus' death is rather symbolic of our new life in Christ. Jesus said to the people around him that day at the scene when they were standing at Lazarus' tomb, he said, remove that rock. and the rock was rolled back and Jesus called for Lazarus to come forth, Lazarus. He was still bound in his grave clothes and the people unwrapped him at Jesus' command. Lazarus had been given new life. His sickness was not unto death in the grave. But dear one, you and I have been given new life and we're told to flee from sin and hate evil. and if you do this because you are commanded to do so you will be given everything that you need to live a pure and righteous life in Jesus Christ. The stone of reproach has been rolled back from you and me the day that Jesus Christ walked out of the tomb and was free of his grave clothes. And it was reported by the holy angel that day when Mary Magdalene went searching for the one in whom her heart loved and she heard, He is not here. He is risen. You see, Jesus ascended to be with His Father in heaven and all of the work has been finished now. He's done everything. He's given you His Spirit and He says, Trust Me and I'll remove every rock that stands in your way and prevent you from coming to Me in a deep and a real way. You see, His deepest desire is to remove your old grave clothes which represent all of the sinful passions that you had before you accepted his offer of salvation. The idea in this transformation is to outfit you in his beautiful garments of holiness and righteousness. Living truly in the realm of his wonderful and glorious precepts and ways, create an atmosphere that is free of the world. freedom from your sinful passions and greedy lusts into a place of close connection and intimate fellowship with your beloved Savior who promises to never leave you nor forsake you. He promises to give you angels that are charged over you to keep you in all of his ways. And just as Enoch was separated unto God for his purposes so will you have the same opportunity to be separated in a way you will have the privilege according to your righteous choices to walk with God intimately just as this man did I can well imagine the atmosphere that Enoch had created for himself by his righteous choices strictly and mainly because of his love for his God now please understand as well in this word today which I have entitled what kind of atmosphere are you creating for yourself that there are ways that God's divine protection and his angelic realm is not a part of his promise many people who call themselves Christians decide for themselves their own appointed ways They make up their own rules and live by their own standards, which are totally contrary to God's pure and holy ways. One of the ways is by presumption. These people defy Jesus' command to follow me. Jesus made it clear to Satan in his time of testing when Satan said, If you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against the stone. Jesus answered and said, It's also written, Satan, do not put the Lord your God to the test. so many people bite the bait of Satan and court danger and set their own courses right into the lake of fire because of their presumption thinking that God does not mind their mix and what they have deceived themselves into believing and doing God says in his word my ways are not your ways and your ways are not my ways and this is why we must learn the ways of God because the precepts of the Lord are right and true altogether. People create their own negative atmosphere also by their ways of sin, of dishonesty, of lying and cheating, and with all of their worldly devices and passions such as greed for money, technology, sex, pornography, greedy ambition, dark, and also crooked and deceptive methods of twisting the word of God. There is surely an ominous atmosphere following these kinds of people. They are really without God's protective covering. Many do not know they are walking in an ominous atmosphere, the atmosphere of the evil one. They have created it for themselves. this morning as I was preparing to get ready for this service today I heard the spirit of the Lord say ever so clearly pray for Pastor Jimmy as he delivers this message he is guilty of twisting and perverting my word for self gain and seeks to endear my people unto himself for his own evil gain his eternal life hangs in the balance I immediately prayed for this pastor whom I don't know who it is but as this word goes out over the internet I pray that God will guide this word to this pastor Jimmy I pray that the spirit of the Lord would convict him of his crime and bring him to his knees in a bitter repentance and that he would admit his error and turn around and face the Lord and be in hot pursuit and desperate desire to know him intimately. You see, without knowing the lover of your soul in this intimate way, you stand the chance of defiling your own path. You stand the chance of using God as a means to your own wicked end, just like this pastor who stands on the precipice of eternal death. Church, I'm telling you that we are living in a day and a time. I'm warning you that God is not playing games in this day and this hour. And those who go the way of pretended faith, of self-conceit, of selfish ambition, ways of willfulness, fantasizing, self-will, sinful passions, and flatterings in getting people to do what they want them to do with their erroneous and perverted doctrines are deceiving themselves right into the lake of fire. Those who are on this path have created an atmosphere of doom and gloom for themselves and also for the ones who follow them. And I am saying this horrible atmosphere is theirs for all of eternity unless they repent now while they have breath on this earth. For some, the day of grace has already been lifted. Their lot is decided. They are walking in deception, believing that they shall inherit eternal life. The Lord's divine and awesome angelic protection is not promised to willful sinners. the scripture again reports the promise to those to whom it is given Psalms 91 verse 9 promises if, please hear that if, if you make the most high your dwelling even the Lord who is my refuge then no harm will befall you no disaster will come near your tent for he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all of your ways. Not just a few of your ways, precious ones, but in all of your ways. Jesus says, If you live in me, and I in you, ask me what it is that you desire, and I shall give it to you. First, though we must live in him and make him our dwelling place, and then he promises that he'll make the atmosphere around you fortified and charged with his presence and will make every effort to give you what you desire in this life because it is united with his holy word that says in Jeremiah 29 verse 11 I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a hope and a future and then you'll call upon me and you'll come to me and pray and I will listen to you and then you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart I'll be found by you declares the Lord and I'll bring you back from captivity I'll bring you out of captivity those who live in this heavenly atmosphere of God's presence manifest a holy life and it is recognizable by God and by those who have matured to know and recognize the difference. The fruit of their spirit comes out in the way of their language, of their conduct, and by the love and the concern that they have for their brothers and sisters in the Lord. Also, for the love for their beloved shepherd, it radiates as a blazing lamp and does not need to be expressed publicly because it reports itself in the kind of life that they live it is easy to detect the spirit that is not of God when you walk in the spirit dear believer it is very easy to detect the spirit that is not of God now I have been around people who have walked by me And the atmosphere that follows them is one of sinful uncleanness due to what they have been doing in the way of sexually gratifying themselves, whether it be by way of masturbation, pornography, fantasizing about sexual pleasure, and whatever it may be, the atmosphere that follows them reeks of foulness and perverseness. years ago I was in a home as a guest and was sitting in the living room early one morning when a young lady came from her room and walked past me to go into another room I felt the atmosphere and presence of a host of unclean spirits that were trailing after her I put my Bible down looked directly at her and said What perverse and foul thing have you been doing this morning? The young lady looked shocked and surprised and couldn't hold back her words that exclaimed her crime when she desperately and shamefully exclaimed You can tell? You know what I have been doing? I said, Oh, yes, I know what you have been doing. It's quite apparent with the host of perverse evil spirits that are trailing after you. it is a dead giveaway as to what you have been doing and you know that what you are choosing to do is sinful and you are gratifying yourself in this sin and she shamefully escaped back to her room Psalm 17 verse 4 says by the word of your lips oh God I have kept away from the paths of a destroyer You see in this word today which stresses that if you do not heed or live and practice the word of God, you actually will create your own negative atmosphere and circumstances by invoking the demonic realm by the destructive power of your sinful words, your sinful actions, your preferences and your deeds. And you'll create the atmosphere of heaven or you will have created the atmosphere of hell depending on how you're living your life right now. The power of the fruit of praise, of thanksgiving and worship will invoke the presence of God. And the promises and blessings of God are promised to the righteous and not to those who willfully sin. Let me tell you, dear one, you will walk securely in the atmosphere of angelic protection and in his manifested presence because the Lord Jesus Christ concerns himself with the fact that he shall give his angels charge over you. He will personally command those holy beings to keep their eyes fixed on you because he is jealous over you because of the willful election of your heart to obey and submit your life to his ways and prefer the atmosphere of his presence, of his love and his peace, rather than the evil presence of the atmosphere of the devil and his hordes of hell. And you will have the unseen and mysterious divine realm guarding you like a mother who carries her newborn baby. And this is with tender kindness and love. but this angelic realm carries a supernatural power and authority because Jesus Christ has released them to be set all around you just like he has shown me in the vision that lingers today as very real and very comforting all things are on your side when you choose to obey and submit your life to your beloved dear one. The charge is laid upon the Holy Host to protect you and personally watch over you when you are obedient in all of his ways. What a glorious atmosphere to live in while you live on this earth. It is by your choice. And the choice is to believe and have faith in Jesus Christ, God's own Son. The promise is because you have him as your refuge and holy habitation. And then he says, No evil thing shall befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. No evil can come near the temple of the living God because his personal presence and atmosphere of divine protection drives the evil one far away. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Guard the words of your mouth, dear saints Watch over the door of your hearts Keep your eyes fixed on the author and the finisher of your faith And surely you will walk in the atmosphere of his love Of his joy and peace all the days of your life Thank you. I have titled this word today, Why Hostile, Ungodly People Hate and Oppose God. My title really comes from Psalms 2, verse 1, which declares, Why do the heathens rage and plot in vain against the Lord? I have pondered many times upon this question, Why do ungodly people fight against the Almighty Creator and His wonderful ways? How can they not believe that he exists or that he has their best interest at heart, especially seeing all of this by virtue of his creation? And scripture tells us also that God has put this understanding within the hearts of all men to know that he exists. Romans 1 17 please Romans 1 17 These verses declare this very truth For in the gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed both springing from faith and leading to faith, disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith. As it is written, the man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith. For God's holy wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inopportune. Verse 19, For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their innermost conscience, because God himself is shown it to them. For ever since the creation of the world, his invisible nature and attributes, that is, his eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made his handiworks. So men are without excuse altogether, without any defense or justification. Verse 21. Because when they knew and recognized him as God, they did not honor and glorify him as God or give him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking with vain imaginations, foolish reasonings and stupid speculations. And their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. Professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves. So these verses then tell us that God-haters have hardened and set their hearts against God and have joined in league with Satan the devil in claiming to be wiser than the one who created them, the very one who created all things seen and unseen. Psalms chapter 2, verse 1. In another translation says it this way, What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit or outsmart God, for a summit conference of the nations has been called to plot against the Lord and his Messiah, Christ the King. Come, let us break his chains, they say, and free ourselves from all of this slavery to God. But God in heaven merely laughs. He is amused by all their puny plans, verse 5, and then in fierce fury he rebukes them and fills them with fear. When we dissect this word and peer into the depths of it, we can see and understand what we are hearing through this statement repeated by Apostle Paul from the words spoken long ago by King David in reference to the heathen raging. This bespeaks of absolute and undeniable opposition to the gospel of Jesus Christ. These rise up in fury and rage and renounce the one true God and his good news, which has all the power and authority to save them from the bondage of slavery in which they deceptively live and also to rescue them from the mouth of hell and the eternal gloom and torment that it brings forever and eternity. To rage is a word that signifies the neighing or the snorting of highly excited or agitated horses, as described in the book of Job, where it talks about prancing war horses. This word rage is symbolically used to represent the noise, fury, and violence of insolent and overbearing men and all too well represent the attitude of Jesus Christ's enemies. The ungodly who rage and find fault with God and his ways are full of pride and vanity. Those who endeavor to outsmart and thwart the plans of Christ in the attempt to crush Christianity live in a world below and are mad, foolish dreamers who will fall victim to their own delusions and clever deception. To rage implies the gnashing of teeth and also to foolishly and recklessly run ahead, to rush ahead, to accomplish devious and vain plans to prevent the spread of the gospel in the world. This word implies also that they somehow think that they will prevent Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords from having the empire of his own on the earth one day soon. These God-haters are so vain in their endeavors and are so ignorant of the fact that every evil effort and accomplishment of theirs will be used for God's good to open up and expand and make way for the prophesied return of our Bridegroom Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. You see, leaders in every nation band or joined together in agreement and are as one in their antagonism and hatred against God and his son, Jesus Christ. Just like the scripture showed in the example with Herod and Pontius Pilate when they joined and conspired together to kill the perfect one called the Messiah whom God Almighty had sent to the earth to redeem fallen man back to himself. These and those in every generation since have only been doing as much as God the Father would allow them to do in order to cause his enemies to do his work and bring his plans into fruition and final completion. Now, let's look. Isaiah chapter 40, verse 22. It is God who sits above the circle, the horizon of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. It is he who stretches out the heavens like gauze, like curtains, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in, who brings dignitaries to nothing, who makes the judges and rulers of the earth as chaos, emptiness, falsity, and futility. Verse 24. Yes, these men are scarcely planted. Scarcely are they sown. Scarcely does their stock take root in the earth when the Lord blows upon them and they wither and the whirlwind or tempest takes them away like stubble. Now, we should understand in this word today The first prophecy spoken about our Savior's effect upon mankind was given by a devout Israelite named Simeon. Simeon was endowed with the gift of prophecy and had received divine revelation that his death would not take place until he had seen the Messiah. Mary and Joseph entered the temple with baby Jesus in arm and Simeon, recognizing the holy babe, took him in his arms and gave thanks to God for the privilege of seeing Jesus. And from the account Luke 2, verse 34, the word declares what Simeon prophesied to Mary, Jesus' mother. He said in verse 34, This is again the first prophetic utterance related to the cross and the effect that the Holy Child must be to those in the way of sorrows. The angels first had spoken of the throne of David, the shepherds had brought the message of peace, and yet Simeon foretells both the effect and the way of the cross. And yes, this prophecy is called a blessing, and it is so because obedience to the will of the Father brings untold and countless blessings to those who obey and conform to the commands of the Eternal One. And at the same time, we see in this prophetic word given to Mary that she too must learn to suffer with her child. Simeon said that a sword shall pierce through her own soul. And this was to be a blessing for Mary. Strange as it may sound to us being creatures of clay, but is it not true that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the eternal word in human flesh, has brought a blessing upon human suffering for those who are associated with this suffering? Well, let's look at that in 1 Peter 1.5. You who are being guarded, garrisoned by God's power through your faith, till you fully inherit that final salvation that is ready to be revealed for you in the last time, you should be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations. Verse 7, so that the genuineness of your faith may be tested. Your faith, which is infinitely more precious than perishable gold, which is tested and purified by fire. This proving of your faith is intended to redound to your praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, is revealed. what you and I contend to believe in, that we will be tried and tested in. Our faith is the object of our trial, and it is much more precious than gold. And gold is put into the fire, and eventually when it is there long enough, the dross surfaces up to the top and is skimmed off, and it's discarded. And we all must be tried and tested. to see if our faith in Jesus Christ is genuine and real to meet the approval of the final judge one day. Simeon foresees that Christ, the Messiah, must suffer because his life and physical presence would be violently opposed to the principles by which men were guiding their own lives when Jesus came to the earth. Remember, Jesus stepped into the world as the incarnate word and had the total and full capacity and capability to read the innermost thoughts of people and reveal to them in the moment the true nature of themselves, good or bad. For that very reason, he would be salvation for some, and on the other hand, he would be condemnation and judgment for others, and therefore he would be a sign that is spoken against even in our day to day. We hear it all the time. It is increasing more and more in the news and all around us, and especially in this nation today, the uprising hatred for God and his people. Human suffering arises out of the transgression and the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve in the garden when they disobeyed the divine command of God given to them, which was to not eat from just one tree in the garden. They chose their own will rather than God's will in conforming to his divine order, which he had set in motion on that day when he laid down his righteous command or laws. And this divinely ordered and arranged human life was exampled and lived by the very one who is called the Word made flesh in human form. Jesus Christ, divinely ordered life, is in direct opposition and is hostile to the self-righteous and self-centered lives of those who have fallen natures, and therefore Christ's way of life collides and vehemently opposes these people who then must suffer as a result of their willful and sinful way of life and preferences. It is part of God's law set into motion on the day he created man and woman and said, This is good. Those who choose to conform to their pattern, Jesus Christ, learn that when they choose to live godly lives in Christ, they will and must suffer persecution for his name's sake. 2 Timothy 3, verse 12. The word declares, Indeed, all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution, will be made to suffer because of their religious stand. But wicked men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others, and being deceived and being led astray themselves. Verse 14. But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned them. Simeon said that Jesus would be the rise and the fall of many and the testimony of Christ's gospel will prove the means for your rise and or your fall. It is a matter of an absolute untold moment involving all that is important in your eternal character and your destiny or in other words, where you will end up for eternity. Simeon said that Jesus was appointed and destined for the fall and the rise of many and the fact that he lays bare the secret thoughts and purposes of every heart will be brought out and exposed on their day of judgment. It comes to where true believers and lovers of Jesus Christ speak for him, not against him. They come to understand as well that they must not speak lightly of him or his ordinances or doctrines or his people, but they must be advocates for his cause and embrace every opportunity to share and witness him to others. True followers of Jesus Christ understand that all of the sufferings and the injustices, the insults and persecutions may be matters of grief to them in the moment. But dear ones, it is our sins that have made all of these things necessary and are reminders of why and what our precious Redeemer went through on our behalf. Undergoing the pain of living this way of life for the gospel's sake must be in order to have its appropriate and fitting heart-searching effect on our hearts and souls. The secret thoughts and purposes of every heart will be brought out and exposed as a result not to be mocked or belittled or played down, but it is rather to be desired and sought after in order to embrace whatever is cherished and pleasant, according to Philippians 4, verse 8, which instructs us, Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellent, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things, fix them in your minds. these things ought to be fixed in our hearts so that the day of our judgment Christ may reveal all that is in our hearts and that we may be found free of defilement and impurity. To risk being found short of the lovely and the beautiful, having been conformed and harmonized in your hearts, then it will be too late for any correction or change. One will only hear the dreadful words of the Savior saying, Too late, too late, the judgment has been set. Especially today, and today alone, in this present day, is the time for any beneficial and profitable discovery of needed change and also repentance and turnaround and the implementation of steadfastness to Christ's precious way of life as demonstrated in his word should be the first and foremost greatest priority and preference in your life. Simeon said that our Savior would be set as the ruin of many. Understand, please, God's Son came not to destroy souls, but to save them. In his boundless and inexhaustible love for mankind, he has literally sacrificed himself for the world and unlocked the entrance into heaven by his brutal and heartless death. But nevertheless and unfortunately, he is set to be the ruin of many. How very true Simeon's prophecy is. Many millions and millions of people, even multitudes of churches today, are destitute of faith, which is the doorway into eternal life and the very ground of this precious salvation found only in Jesus Christ. Many are destitute of Christ's divine love we must possess and embrace in addition to faith if we are to be saved. How terrible and how dreadfully alarming it is for those who will face the consequences of the ruin of whom Christ is set against. They will have forfeited and renounced the price of their salvation, just like Esau, who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob, did, and he whined afterwards and begged to have it back, but was told it was too late, it was just too late. He sold out for a bowl of soup. It was too late, just too late. All of these people will lose out on eternal happiness and joy, which awaited and was destined for them only if they would have conformed to the eternal Creator's plans and ways. In Simeon's prophetic word, he was describing what Jesus Christ would be to different people. Jesus would be an object of opposition and the occasion of ruin to his enemies. He was going to be an acute cause of suffering by sympathy and tenderness to his mother. And he would be the author of salvation and restoration to his people. And lastly, he would be a test or measure, a barometer, if you will, and the standard of the moral and spiritual state and requirement needed for all of mankind. And this last one says to us that man is either saved or destroyed by the truth of the living God. Everyone has choice either to accept or reject the wonderful offer which comes by way of salvation found only in Jesus Christ. Every man and woman who has heard of the message of salvation has had some kind of connection with Christ. Jesus is offered to each one of us by faith, by God the Father, and as a means of salvation and a foundation on which we may build. Once the message of salvation comes into anyone's hearing, they have the free will choice to accept or reject that offer. If rejected, the individual is visited time and time again by God's ministering spirits and agents in the continual attempt of witnessing the goodness of the Savior and his love for them personally. And if these people continually and habitually reject the offer of salvation, than at some point or another in their lives, God closes the door of opportunity and no longer knocks upon the door of their hearts, inviting them to come and partake in their share of eternal life. But instead, only the dreadful gloom and doom of hell's fire awaits them. Once the precious gospel of salvation is heard and accepted, it begins to bring or should bring a perpetual and continuous change to the individual's character and spiritual growth. Jesus does something to each and every one who has accepted him. Acceptance of Christ begins to tell on us. If you disbelieve it and have rejected him and you are not conforming to his standards, It tells on you by the way of your attitude, your words, your deeds, your body language. And you see, you cannot open up God's word and have the savor of his anointed word pour forth on those pages you are reading without it affecting you in one way or another. It is just like the anointing oil when Mary opened up the alabaster box and the aroma of the spice permeated the room and affected those who were in the room with her and her Savior. Scripture tells us that those around her complained of her extravagant waste as she poured it over the one whom she loved. Jesus is either a sweet savor to us or he is considered awful and offensive and one to be avoided, which is really in the long run death unto eternal death for anyone on this path. Simeon had proved himself a faithful witness of Christ. The Almighty had brought Simeon's greatest desire in prayer to fullness the day he held baby Jesus in his arms and gave the prophetic word to his mother Mary. we personally should have found in our experience somewhere in our walk where it has been exposed that Christ has been a stumbling stone and an offense and that he has been a signal or a standard which has called out the imperfections and oppositions in our carnal nature and our character. We should have found him in our experience to be a sword which has pierced our own souls and divides the evil in us from the good laying bare our ugly and corrupt intentions and ways and discloses the secret thoughts and purposes and tendencies of our evil hearts. Jesus was to bring strife on the earth, and it is framed so clearly when we see and understand the inward war and struggles that work within our own human heart and nature. Jesus also has been our consolation, our light, and our glory if we have been found steadfast in our conformity to him and his ways. The hostile, ungodly ones who rage and oppose God and his Son will never know this side of the strife that Jesus was meant to bring in dividing the holy from the profane in the human heart in order to bring salvation to their souls. they will never know this positive side of change that comes with salvation because of the rejection of the good news once it came within their hearing. And when our thought life is exposed, we have to endure the inward conflict between good and evil. When the words of the Savior pierces and breaks and tears at our hearts, it is all according to the divine order of God with the loving intention to prepare and transition us to the eventual divine end of God, which is the salvation of our souls. This is all part of God's divine order and scheme of things, which is intended to prepare us for a time in which our souls and hearts will be so flooded and bathed and charged and permeated with the divine light and goodness of God that there shall be no more darkness in us and that we will be so penetrated with this divine glory that sin, sorrow, and shame shall flee away forever and ever. What a wonderful Savior and Father. And this is God's intention for all of mankind. Who will not endure the pain, the strife and persecution that comes in this present life and bear up under it with patience and courage and hope as we endure all for his name's sake and wait patiently for him to take us to our eternal home above. Whomever the good news comes in contact with, Christ Jesus is never without influence, never inoperative in that hearing ear, but in every case a very weighty result is produced. It must be so, because Simeon prophesied in saying Jesus would be the rise and fall of many. A man or woman hearing the good news of the gospel will either rise or fall upon hearing that truth. And this is saying then that there are two sides of the truth once it comes into the hearing of any individual. Jesus is always working upon men and women with considerable and distinct and noticeable effect. And on the other hand, the way a person treats our Lord is either with warmth and affection and love, or it is with opposition and hatred to his ways by refusing the conformity and obedience that he demands in order to receive the wonderful gift of salvation. Why is this? Why is it? Why do the ungodly rage and oppose and hate God and his Son and show it by mocking and denying him and rejecting him by not living in true allegiance to his word and his ways according to Holy Scripture? Well, one of the reasons is that the light and the power and authority which is inherent in Jesus Christ and his gospel represents Christ among men and women in the world. It brings with it a conviction to their hearts and souls, laying bare the revelation that the evil nature within condemns them, and consequently they hate him and his word and all those who are associated with him. Their conviction brings hatred. Listen again, please. Their conviction brings hatred and opposition rather than shame for their sinful ways, which typically drives one to their knees in repentance. If you stand before a fire, it will warm and comfort you, but you thrust your hand into it, it will burn you. So it is with the sun. The clouds at times may hide it from our view, and yet it is forever pouring forth its rays of heat and light. as long as it is the sun. It must pass forth its influence and permeate its surroundings with its impact, its force, and splendor. And this analogy is the same for our precious Savior, who is called the Son of Righteousness. As long as the world exists, Christ, our Savior's influence, will be felt and experienced amongst men. and it will either be the rise or the fall of all men and women. And if we receive him and truly live in him, we shall be saved and will live. But if we reject him, we must die. You cannot receive Christ as your Savior and yet keep one foot in the world and not be damaged a little bit by it. There is no alternative, but you undoubtedly will perish because of double-mindedness. Each and every individual must decide about Jesus one way or another. Jesus was appointed for this very thing as told by Simeon's prophetic utterance. Everyone takes a position in Christ one way or another. He will either be your rise or he will be your fall. And those who fall by their position in Jesus Christ is not a difficult question to answer. Those who fell in Scripture were those who held to the traditions of men, who gave credence to men's doctrines and give these sayings higher authority than God's word and commands. Others who fell according to Scripture were those who were considered externalists. These are those who give excessive attention to the external things of life and religion. They hold an exaggerated emphasis on the outward form of religion or have a form of religion but deny its power working in them. Going to church once or twice a week and doing one's duty would define one who is an externalist or one who presents a form of godliness but denies the power therein. Others who fall by Christ instead of rising would be the self-righteous folks who endeavor to earn their way into the kingdom by their own good works and merit rather than by faith in Christ Jesus and the journey of true repentance of sinful ways and growing in spiritual maturity. Others who fall by Christ are those who have continual unbelief and are skeptical of him and his ways. They are the doubters and the ones who are fear-laden. They were not anchored in Christ by faith and reliance upon his word. And it's no different today than it was in the biblical days. People that fell by Christ then fall by him today too. Those who will be raised in Christ will be those who have admitted they've fallen. These will admit that they have or had fallen nature due to sin and are those who lament and hate it with a passion. These are those who produce habitual fruit with their initial repentance. You see, dear ones, Jesus Christ cannot raise up those who are not brought down low. John the Baptist said in John 3, verse 30, he, Jesus, must increase, but I must decrease. He must grow more prominent. I must grow less so. Salvation is not earned by works or out of duty or appeasing God and doing something nice or good for someone, but rather salvation comes by and through God's grace and cannot be mixed with performance and will not be accepted, nor anything else. When one tries to attempt to do anything in their own power to earn salvation, only true repentance and belief or faith and habitual production of fruit in yours and my life will cause us to be raised up to the point where we live in Christ. Jesus says, without me you can do nothing. And this is Christ's method to save souls. He first lets us experience a great fall, and afterwards he causes us to rise up and meet him in the ethereal realm where he will feed us true manna from above. Understand, please, you cannot fill a vessel until it has been emptied of its former contents. Jesus cannot make room for his mercy if the former stuff and contents has not been emptied out. He cannot clothe an individual if he is content with the former or old clothing and refuses to part with it. And the same analogy in that Jesus cannot feed someone who has no real hunger or passion for him. The fall that we take in Jesus Christ is a blessed and consecrated fall, dear one. Jesus has never let anyone fall whom he did not lift up afterwards. The word declares in Deuteronomy 32, 29, See now that I myself am he. There is no God besides me. I put to death and I bring to life. I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand. This word says to us that God will bring us low to bring us upward. His desire and aim through the hardships and the trials in our lives to bring greater faith and conformity and obedience in our spiritual growth. God did not spare his own son, Jesus, when he sent him to the earth on our behalf. Isaiah 53 verse 10 tells us, It pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief, and thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed and shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. Verse 11 He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he will bear their iniquities By Christ being brought low for each one of us individually he then lifts us up in himself to live and have our being in him, enjoying all the promises and the blessings which are designed to bring us safely through as we journey on this path of life. Christ is the sign that shall be spoken against and this is why the heathens rage Jesus was a sign of the divine love of God in Christ God reaches the climax of generosity and compassion and man exhibits the highest apex of his deadly state and demonstrates the greatest hostility and sign of hatred to God and his people showing the most destructive and deadly opposition to him and to his church, which is to be the habitation of his grace. It is to be the chamber of his conception, dedicated to the birthing forth of his love. God used the principle of grace and love to bring his church forth into the world through Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus was the sign of man's communion with God, and