Praying Pint

 

Deuteronomy 32:29   If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

 

As I read these verses of the Wrath of God and who deserves this wrath, I am both in awe and wonder at how God’s love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ broke through into my heart, mind, and soul. I gave no thought to God or things of God. (For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God) Though I would know I was doing something wrong it did not bother me. My life was cast in Lies, cheating, stealing, cursing, lusting, envy, hating, pridefulness, boastfulness, unkindness, etc…..
I was able to shut down any part of my conscience that would shout out this is not right. I willing chose to follow my worldly heart in whatever pursuit it saw best for me. There was no love of or for God. There was no thought of God at all, that I can remember. If there was it was a very small spark. The reason I say this is because, somehow in the grace, mercy, and love of God, He opened my heart, mind, and soul to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I deserved His Wrath. I deserved: “And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right.”

 

Was I not this person? – YES

 

Did I not deserve God’s Wrath? – YES

Why are the eyes and ears of the soul opened to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and others are not?

 

How far does a person have to be away from God in their thoughts and actions to be given over and delivered over to a corrupt mind?

 

How can a person explain this mystery? (For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.)

 

Sometimes when I hear of things people saying and doing, I think they deserve God’s Wrath, and then, I think about how that was me before I was saved. I was giving no thought to God, and I relished in my sin(s). I said and did things that deserved the wrath of God. I had impure thoughts. I did impure things. I gave no thought to God. Yet, God did not deliver me over to a corrupt mind, He delivered me through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I know who I was. I know the actions I took. I know how I thought. I know what I said. I know I had no remorse for what I thought, said, or did. I would brag of things I did and not get caught. I would say things that were unkind, mean, hurtful, slander, boastful, etc….. and give it no thought. I would curse using the name of Jesus. I would lie whenever it suited or benefited me. I lived to fill the lust of my heart and mind. I was not in the least bit concerned with God or His Wrath. I gave no thought to judgment, heaven or hell. I certainly did not give any thought to sin.

You would think there would have to be some sort of spark of conscience, some desire to do what’s right, some thought of God, some recognition of God, some thought of heaven, some thought of hell, something shouting or whispering within your conscience that you are living wrong with wrong thoughts, wrong words, wrong actions. I cannot remember any such thoughts. I was very comfortable in my way of life, following by own worldly and fleshly thoughts (sin).
So when I look at where I was and how I lived and how far away I was from any thinking about God and Things of God, and how in grace, mercy, and love He opened my heart, mind, and soul to not only see my sinfulness, the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, the need for repentance, the forgiveness of sin, and eternal life, and I read where He finds some who are deserving of being delivered over to a corrupt mind. I am not sure how a person could have been further away from God than I was, having no remorse or regret about how they were living.
I do not know how God determines when a person is delivered over to a corrupt mind, but I know there is hope of salvation for every single person while they still have breath. We have to acknowledge that we do not have the mind of God so we cannot make this judgment of deliverance over to a corrupt mind. We must, in grace, mercy, and love, proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with hope that God will open their eyes and ears to the mystery of Jesus Christ, and use it in a person’s life like He did in us.
We can see and hear sinful things people do and are doing. Yet, there is still hope for them. There is no reason for us to doubt what God can do or how He could do it.
Too often I think we write off people as obviously unsavable. We see their actions and what they say, the wickedness they do, the depths of depravity they enjoy, and we shake our head and possibly think there is no hope for them, they are too far gone. How could they get this far gone and be able to hear the saving grace love of salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The light of the Gospel can penetrate the darkest mind and soften the hardest heart. So, until the day of God’s Wrath comes, we must continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ while there is still time for these lost souls.

 

Isaiah 59:18   According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment.

Isaiah 59:2   But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Psalm 7:11   God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

Revelation 15:1   Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

Ezekiel 20:33   “As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you.

Ezekiel 5:13   “Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that I am the Lord—that I have spoken in my jealousy—when I spend my fury upon them.

Numbers 14:18   ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’

Psalm 14:1   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

 

Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Jeremiah 21:14   I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the Lord; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.”

Micah 5:15   And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.

Ezekiel 8:18   Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

Jeremiah 30:23   Behold the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked.

Ezekiel 21:17   I also will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury; I the Lord have spoken.”

Ezekiel 13:13   Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end.

Jeremiah 21:5   I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath.

 

 

Romans 2:5   But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Colossians 3:6   On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

Revelation 19:15   From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Romans 2:8   But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

2 Peter 2:9   Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

 

Romans 1:28-32     And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Nahum 1:2-3  The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

John 3:36    Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Hebrews 10:31   It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 12:29   For our God is a consuming fire.

 

 1Timothy 6:6-10    But godliness with contentment is great gain,  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

It’s so easy to get caught up in all the “stuff” that the world tells us is essential to our happiness. The fancy new smartphones, the latest tech gadgets that will supposedly revolutionize the way we live, even bringing out a constant rotation of new home décor to make sure your living space reflects the latest trends. And to be honest, it’s not just physical things that we’re being sold. The world also tells us that we should have that perfect balance between work and home life, that we should only show our very best selves and hide anything that could be seen as imperfect. Or that we should all be hustling to be able to provide ourselves with the kind of life that everyone around us should envy.

It’s no wonder that so many of us are exhausted by the effort of it all. Especially when we know that the things that the world is telling us are so important, they don’t have any sort of eternal value. It will all end at some point. The gadgets will fail, the décor will go out of style, and the “rat race” you’re living in will never get you to where you think you should be. Instead, we should focus on the one thing guaranteed to last forever—our eternal relationship with Jesus Christ. What needs to change in your life this week to put your focus back on Jesus?  (Storm Watch)

 

 

1Peter 2:11  Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Romans 12:1     I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1    I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Ephesians 4:1     I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

1 Peter 4:2     so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

1 Peter 1:17     And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

Romans 8:13     For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

1 John 2:15-17    Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

In his epistles, Peter calls believers “strangers and pilgrims,” a timeless reminder that resonates powerfully in our modern age. This concept of pilgrimage signifies a journey—a transition from one country to another, with the present world not being our true home. Instead, we are travelers, passing through, with our eyes set on a greater destination: the city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10).

The Pilgrim’s Hallmark: Dwelling in Tents

The imagery of a tent, as seen in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is rich with meaning. Though Abraham was promised Canaan, he dwelt in tents, signifying his recognition of the land as foreign and temporary. His heart was set on something more permanent—a city with foundations, designed by God Himself. This refusal to settle marks the pilgrim as someone always on the move, never rooted in temporal passing things.

Traveling Light: The Pilgrim’s Burden

Pilgrims must travel light. The journey is long and demands mobility; unnecessary baggage can only hinder progress. In spiritual terms, this means letting go of material possessions and earthly attachments that weigh us down. The call is to jettison anything that impedes our journey homeward, focusing instead on what is truly essential.

Distinctiveness in an Alien Land

Pilgrims are different from the settled inhabitants of the land through which they pass. Their lifestyle, habits, and even worship stand apart. For the Christian, this means resisting the urge to conform to the world’s standards and desires. Peter’s admonition to abstain from “fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” is a call to spiritual integrity. The pilgrim does not let his character be shaped by his environment; he is in the world but not of it.

Faithfulness in Hostile Territory

Passing through enemy territory, the pilgrim is careful not to fraternize with those opposed to his cause. To do so would betray the leader—Christ Himself. The world did not welcome Jesus; it gave Him a cross and a grave. For the Christian pilgrim, to seek the world’s approval is to betray the Lord. The cross has severed all ties to the world’s values and judgments. We do not crave its praise nor fear its condemnation.

The Hope That Sustains

What keeps the pilgrim going is the hope of reaching home. Every day’s march brings him closer to his final destination. The hardships and dangers along the way will be forgotten in the joy of arrival. This hope is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation rooted in God’s promises.

Conclusion

Peter’s reminder is as vital today as ever. In a world that tempts us to settle, accumulate, and conform, we must remember our identity as pilgrims. Our journey is marked by lightness, distinctiveness, faithfulness, and hope. Each step brings us closer to the city built by God, where we will finally be at home.

 

1 Corinthians 8:1-13      Now about food sacrificed to idols:   We know that “We all possess knowledge.”   But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.   Those who think they know something   do not yet know as they ought to know.     But whoever loves God is known by God.     So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols:   We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world”   and that “There is no God but one.”     For even if there are so-called gods,   whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),   yet for us there is but one God,   the Father,   from whom all things came   and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord,   Jesus Christ, through whom all things came   and through whom we live.   But not everyone possesses this knowledge.   Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak,   it is defiled.   But food does not bring us near to God;   we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.   Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block   to the weak.     For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?     So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed   by your knowledge.   When you sin against them   in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.     Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

There is often a price to be paid in obtaining the truth of God, and we should be willing to pay the price, whatever it may be. Once having obtained the truth, we should not give it up.

The verse is not to be taken with such strict literalness that we would buy Bibles and Christian literature, but would not sell them under any circumstances. Buying the truth here means making great sacrifices to achieve the knowledge of divine principles. It may mean hostility from one’s family, loss of employment, separation from religious ties, financial loss, or even physical abuse.

To sell the truth means to compromise it or abandon it altogether. We should never be willing to do that.

In his book Church in the House, Arnot wrote: “It is a general law of human nature that what comes lightly, goes lightly. What we gain by a hard struggle, we retain with a firmer grasp, whether it be our fortune or our faith. Those men who have obtained great wealth without any trouble or toil of their own, often scatter it and die in poverty. It is seldom that the man who gains a fortune by gigantic labor wastes the wealth he has won. In like manner, give me the Christian who has fought his way to his Christianity. If it is through fire and water that he has reached the wealthy place, he will not lightly leave his rich inheritance.”

Saints of all ages have turned their back on family, fame and fortune in order to enter the strait gate and walk the narrow way. Like the Apostle Paul, they have counted all else but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord. Like Rahab they have renounced the idols of paganism and acknowledged Jehovah as the only true God, even if it seemed like betrayal of their own people. Like Daniel, they have refused to sell the truth, even if it meant being thrown into a den of bloodthirsty lions.

But God will always have those choice souls who so value the hidden treasure of truth that they are willing to sell all that they have to buy it, and having bought it, they are unwilling to sell it at any price. (Miller)

 

Proverbs 23:23   Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well.

Proverbs 2:2-4    making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,  if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,

Proverbs 4:5-7     Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.  The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.

Proverbs 16:16   How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 17:16     Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?

Job 28:12-18.  “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?  Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.  The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’  It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price.  It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.  Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.  No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls.

Psalms 119:72     The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Psalms 119:127    Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.

Matthew 13:44     “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Philippians 3:7-8    But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Revelation 3:18     I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

There is often a price to be paid in obtaining the truth of God, and we should be willing to pay the price, whatever it may be. Once having obtained the truth, we should not give it up.

We live in a day when the spirit of the martyrs is largely gone. Men would rather compromise their faith than suffer for it. The voice of the prophet is missing. Faith is lazy, flabby, neglected, and lukewarm. Truth is not proclaimed and shouted out with a even a slight hint of conviction for fear it would offend or be seen as intolerance, narrow-mindedness, and inflexibility. In order to achieve a show of unity, men are willing to sacrifice fundamental doctrines.

They sell (willingly dispose, trade, or exchange) the truth and buy (obtain, purchase, or secure) it not.

I wonder if the gold and silver being held out by some proclaiming to be pastors, deacons, elders, born-again Christians,  are just counterfeit because they have more worldly conviction and influence than the Word of God in its fullness of truth.
Pastors may feel inclined to preach and teach on the blessings of God through Jesus Christ, but fail to feed these souls with reminders of consistent living, being set apart, being a beacon of light, growth, maturity, theology, doctrine, visible fruits of the Holy Spirit, visible acts of faith, kindness, gentleness, joyfulness, proclaiming peace, generosity, holiness, sinfulness of sin, listening for and able to discern the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit, confession, repentance of thoughts, words, and actions that are worldly and full of lust of the flesh, and practical application of God’s Word for everyday living……….
The shallowness of the depth of teaching on the need for repentance in our sanctification does not awaken the soul to true gold and silver, but rather a lukewarm, immature life void of its worth.
Don’t get me wrong, much of what is being taught and preached has value, but without the depth of the need for continual confession (recognized sin) and repentance (turning away), the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit’s leading and conviction will not be recognized, nor will it transform, train, or grow that person into maturity.

 

Ephesians 5:25-29     Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her  to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church

 

The church is often described as the bride of Christ. Although Jesus was fully human and possessed all the attributes of a man, He chose not to marry any individual woman. Instead, His intention was to unite Himself with the entire church—the body of believers—as His bride. In essence, each local congregation serves as a reflection of the greater church, embodying the same spirit of surrender, submission, and willingness to yield to Christ. What is true for the universal church should also be evident in every local church: a heart of surrender and submission to God.

The church, which exists both in heaven and on earth, is collectively recognized as the bride of Christ. Jesus has cleansed, renewed, and prepared His bride, and He will one day return to take the whole church to Himself. Just as a local election mirrors the national election in its processes and expressions, so does each local church mirror the universal church in its devotion and submission—though on a smaller scale. All the qualities of the broader church are present in miniature within the local body.

Scripture instructs husbands to love their wives just as Christ loves the church—He gave Himself for her, purifies her, and presents her as radiant and blameless. This analogy from marriage is used unapologetically to illustrate the relationship between Jesus and His church. Just as a groom would not accept a bride who is unclean, Christ desires a church that is pure and glorious, free from any imperfection. His love for the church is as deep and devoted as a man’s love for his own bride, longing for her to be holy and radiant.  (Tozer)