Line Upon Line ...

Isaiah 28:8-14 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men …

Romans 12: 1-2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

A primary purpose in these writings is to help believers and unbelievers as well discover truths they had not clearly understood previously. This material will eventually be published in a daily devotional. Precept upon precept, line upon line … my assumption is that you were with me when I began January 1st, but I realize that most were not readers at that time. I suggest on the days that I do not have new posts; that you go back to January and read from the beginning. There is a method here. Being out of context on this blog could leave you confused. A hypocrite under every rock.

A Barna Research Group study found that only 9% of Born Again Christians hold to a Biblical worldview on life. In other words, they have chosen not to use the Bible as the moral standard and guide in their lives unless it happens to agree with what they want to do. They have chosen to be the god of their day to day activities. In another meeting I attended years ago, Dr. Bill Bright explained that Campus Crusade had interviewed millions of Christians around the world and that more than 90% of Christians interviewed identified themselves as carnal Christians. Three types of people. My recent posts have been directed at two groups of people, the 91% referred to in the above study and also all of those who see themselves as Spiritual Man but in reality are still trying to work to earn their salvation. The one who is truly Spiritual has learned to abide above and rest in his spiritual position in Christ. His growth is directed by the inward leading of the Holy Spirit during his meditations on God’s word, moment by moment, day by day … precept upon precept, line upon line. One truth leads to the next and to the next. The Spiritual man becomes transformed by the renewing of his mind. His computer mind must be reprogrammed. Our part is to focus on God’s word. The good news is that with God, we have the Holy Spirit guiding our mind. When we are faithfully focused upon Him and His Word, He will internally guide us. He will speak to us in our thought life. God's part in this is to transform our mind. As hard as we try, we can't force it. To Abide Above, and to Rest in your Position In Christ is your part. What we think, will become one with the mind of Christ ... the Holy Spirit will replace the old thinking with the new. He will change the old worldly ideas to be consistent with the truth, as we meditate on His unchangeable truths.

As our mind becomes more and more transformed to Christ. What used to be normal becomes abnormal. False ideas that we had previously believed to be true will be exposed when measured against God’s word and will now become foolishness to us. “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.” 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 The only knowledge that you possess that qualifies as wisdom, comes from God. Self effort is futile because self effort depends upon our old worldly thinking, striving, worldly ways, and the false wisdom of the world to guide us. When I reprogrammed my computer recently with Windows 7, it was all done automatically. I could not even have begun to do it myself and I didn't try ... I know nothing about the ways in which these things are done. So it is also, with the transforming of the mind. Step by step, the new program removed the old and replaced it with the new. If I needed to do something, the program would prompt me. Just last night, a friend called me with questions about transferring over his cell phone service. That’s not nearly as complex as a new computer operating system, but without direction, still an impossible task to accomplish for him or me. Basically everything we do is complicated and requires detailed instructions. Our brain is more complicated than all of the computers and machines in the world combined. The idea that we could remove all of our wrong thinking stored throughout our lifetime, and replace it with God’s truth by our own personal strength, abilities and efforts is far fetched. No problem though, for the creator of the universe, He has given us a helper. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." John 14:16-17 We can read and study and learn new ideas, but we have no idea how to remove the old ideas from our mind. Like the solar system, It is beyond our comprehension. Our mental storage system is infinite and more complex than we can ever imagine, much less understand.

Back in the 70’s a mind control program called EST Erhard Seminar Training came on to the scene. One top manager within my company left her job, and her husband and children, and moved to San Francisco to be a trainer for EST. Others I knew turned into EST cultists, recruiting my offices for potential new converts. Supposedly, after a weekend of the EST seminar, you could come to find and know “IT” … "IT" was sold as the ultimate truth. This false teaching goes something like this, “all of the rules and guidance you have been taught by your parents, schools, religion, and society in general are mostly lies. They don't follow these teachings themselves. You have allowed hypocrites to guide you into a world of guilt and ideas that are destined to failure. You need to identify all of this false knowledge. Now ... recognize that you are god and that you are the only god that matters in your life. Reject all of this old information and replace it with whatever you decide is the truth for you. Now, you have: "IT" Sound like some of the same stuff they are teaching in our schools today? Maybe not you say, but in reality, it is there, but much more subtly taught. They are simply telling our children; "you must discover your own values and truth, and whatever you believe is true, is your truth" It’s not a wonder that 30 years later these ideas are still prevalent, millions of people embraced this training under a variety of names and some are now educators misguiding our children with this babble. As you can also see, EST teaching is similar to “being transformed by the renewing of your mind” but with a major difference. The difference is: the SOURCE of the truth! EST training has a source that is contrary to God’s truth. Est is a lie! EST’s MESSAGE is "IT" … you are god, believe whatever you want and that is your truth. No more guilt, or accountability. You are "IT" ... you are god ... the beginning and the end of what is important. This is not a new teaching: The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5. But obviously that is actually ignorant! An evil lie, and the original source of the fall of mankind ... according to the eternal SOURCE, the absolute Truth, God’s Word ... EST is a horrible lie! Something does not become truth simply because we believe it. Gravity is true, whether we believe it to be true, or not. A pregnant girl can believe she is not pregnant, but guess what happens in approximately nine months … truth.

AS MANY as 91% of all Christians have chosen to leave themselves on the throne of their lives ... the old values and worldly thinking are still guiding them. This has discredited their witness in the world, hindered their fellowship with the Lord, and stunted their spiritual transformation. God's purpose and mission for their lives has been compromised and altered. You can disregard God’s word, but that does not change the fact that God’s word is Truth. We can only become transformed with the truth with the inward help of the Creator, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus, the Lord and Savior who said; “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6. Renew your mind, Rest in Him, Abide Above in your Position in Christ. Any other plan is foolishness before God and leading away from God, His Eternal Truth, and His plan and purpose for you. I don't want that serpent's counsel guiding me ... do you?

God Bless You My Friends, Bob

Pray to receive Christ as Savior here